


Yoga Mats and Zumba Class

by Mickey_D



Series: Forever and a Yoga Mat [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Art, Babies, Bakery, F/M, M/M, Masturbation, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Neighbors, Restaurants, Yoga, minor ziam, zumba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-21 01:20:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1532375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mickey_D/pseuds/Mickey_D
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis can't dance, but that doesn't mean he won't be persuaded to go to a Zumba class with his friend. So when he's sweaty, out of breath, and ready for a good, hot shower, he sees "some tall, lanky thing" who immediately catches his attention. His friend teases him mercilessly as does his mom and his sisters. Though he doesn't know the lanky thing's name, Louis is hopelessly gone already. Unbeknownst to Louis, tall and lanky is just as gone as he is. </p><p>With a little help from their friends, Louis and "Lanky" finally learn each other's names, go on a couple of fantastic dates, and may or may not end up with their own happily ever after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Like What You See, Big Boy?

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I keep lying. I promise, I tried really hard not to, but Harry and Louis are just much too convincing. I'm just not strong enough.
> 
> The title is a work in progress. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.
> 
> Let me know what you think. Comments and kudos are great motivators!
> 
> Oh! This is a spin off from Always and Forever!

_"...Something always brings me back to you. It never takes too long."_ The music faded through the loud speakers but Louis' heart was still beating hard and his breaths were coming in sharply through his nose and harshly out his mouth. He, along with the rest of the people in the room, stood slowly. Their Zumba instructor bounced up on the platform in front of the room and turned to face them with a huge grin. Louis was shocked that she still had enough energy to bounce and smile. "Great job everybody! You all did so great! I hope I'll see you next week!"

The lights came on as they gathered their things. Louis practically ripped the cap off his water bottle and downed the rest of the water in there in two huge gulps. Lila, his good friend and occasional tormentor, hopped over to him. She was as bad as their instructor. "Good job, Lou! Thank you so much for coming with me! It's not fun when I have to grind on a strange, middle-aged woman."

Louis rolled his eyes. "And grinding on your friend isn't weird?"

"No. I know you," Lila said taking a swig from her water bottle. "Do you want to get dinner now?"

Louis would love food, but he felt more like a shower and take-out than whatever organic, health-food place Lila had in mind. "Only if it involves going back to your place and Chinese food."

"That defeats the purpose of what we just did," Lila argued wrinkling her nose.

They picked up their things and walked out of their room. 

"This is the last time I ever do this class," Louis said matter-of-factly. "I can't possibly ever move my hips like that no matter how many classes I go to with you. I don't even know how you ever learned to move like that. Your brother would kill that entire room if he saw that."

"It's a good thing I'm not interested in anyone in there then."

"I don't think that will matter to him."

Lila rolled her eyes. 

Up ahead of them, a yoga class was just getting out. Louis should be happy she didn't drag him there on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He'd make fun of it for months afterwards. At least Zumba is one of the few things that actually tuckers him out. She recognized a few of the people in this class that was getting out. Louis was too busy griping about the fact he just couldn't keep up to immediately notice the boy in the doorway of the yoga class. Louis, though, could feel the heat of an intense stare on his back. He stopped walking and turned, shifting his weight so his hip stuck out to the side while his hand rested firmly against it. He quirked an eyebrow and smirked at the tall, lanky boy frozen in the doorway of the yoga room. The boy was adorable, his curls pushed back by a bright orange bandanna and big green eyes that were (Louis hoped) much wider than they were normally. If his eyes were always that big, Louis would suggest he do something about them. The boy in the door kept staring, so Louis decided to ask him, "Like what you see, big boy?" The boy's mouth dropped open and then tried to close, but he was obviously struggling with his words.

When it was apparent the boy wasn't going to say anything, Lila put a hand on Louis' arm and tugged him down the hall. "C'mon. Leave the poor boy alone. We'll go back to my place and get Chinese."

Louis turned his attention back to her and happily followed her to the locker room so she could change into dry clothes. Louis never understood why she brought a change of clothes even though she'd explained how she felt weird leaving a gym and going out in public in sweaty clothes numerous times. "You're just giving yourself more laundry to do," Louis said while he waited for her to change. 

"It's funny that no matter how many times you say that, I just don't seem to care any more," Lila said as she pulled a dry shirt over her head. 

* * *

 

Harry slowly lowered himself to his mat, folding his legs and being sure to evenly distribute his weight on his hips. Yoga was the one time he actually felt slightly coordinated. 

"...As you inhale, circle your arms above your head pressing your palms together. On your exhale, bring your hands down to your heart-center, sealing in your practice. Open your eyes." The yogi looked around the group with a small, calm smile. She raised her hands and pressed them against her forehead. "Namaste."

"Namaste," Harry mumbled along with the others. No one really said much after that as they rolled and stored their mats in eco-friendly bags and took tiny sips from their eco-friendly water bottles. Harry slung his mat bag over his shoulder and smiled at a couple of the girls who caught his eye today. His smile sent them twittering out the door. 

"I've never see such distracted people in my class before," the yogi murmured as she passed by Harry. "And ever since you started coming here regularly the class size has increased. You're quite the attraction, Harry."

Harry smiled and ducked his head, tugging at the end of his curls. "I don't try to be."

The yogi patted him on his arm. "I know. Just making an observation."

She walked away and Harry headed towards the door. The Zumba class down the hall had already gotten out and the sweaty hip shakers were mingling with the quiet yoga goers. The yoga students were talking and moving slowly, like they were still in a relaxed haze while the dancers were a bit louder, flushed and excited and bouncy. A familiar face caught Harry's eye and then the face next to it stopped him in the doorway to the class room. He was vaguely aware of a body bumping into his back and a voice mumbling about how a person can't just stop in a doorway, but he was too shocked. The face was attached to a lovely little body that was shiny and beautiful after dancing for the last hour. Harry stared unabashedly as the pair of faces kept walking. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to get the face to turn around, but apparently his staring was enough. 

The face turned around (Harry recognized that the face and the body was male) and put a hand on his hip and quirked his eyebrow up. "Like what you see, big boy?" The boy's friend smirked as Harry opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. She urged her friend to move again with a promise of Chinese food and terrible infomercials.

By the time Harry worked himself out of his shocked daze, the boy and his friend had disappeared. Harry rudely pushed past a few yoga stragglers in an attempt to find and follow the two dancers, but when he burst through the main doors and looked wildly from side to side, he couldn't see them anywhere. He had to find that boy. He had to figure out who he was and if he wanted to go on a proper date.


	2. Have a Scone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are like candy! Don't you want to reward your good girl?

Mrs. Pots ran a small bakery in the center of the city. It was just down the road from an art gallery where Harry's neighbor showed his art. Mrs. Pots was always there with a smile and a sexual humor that surprised many people. (No one expected the sweet grandmother to crack penis jokes in the middle of a sentence.) She employed a few "kids" and one of them was Harry. He'd been working there the longest, other than Mrs. Pots who had started the place after her husband left her. She like to call Harry her co-owner even though his name was nowhere on any of the legal papers. He was asked about a few business decisions or what he thought of a new creation she'd concocted late one night. Today was Wednesday, a notoriously slow day, so it would only be Harry and Mrs. Pots.

"Oh, Harry! Thank goodness! I thought it would be just me today. What a boring time that would have been," Mrs. Pots mused. She was leaning against the silver table in the middle of the kitchen. 

"I'd never abandon you like that, Mrs. Pots," Harry assured her with a kind smile.

Mrs. Pots shrugged her shoulders and sniffed. "That's what they all say."

Harry wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "Well I'm not anything like the rest of them."

Mrs. Pots' demeanor changed immediately and she quickly pecked his cheek with a, "I knew there was a reason I hired you." before she went to check the cookies she had in the oven. Harry shook his head and went to wash his hands before tying the old red apron around his waist. He made sure his hair was pushed back by his bandanna before heading out front. He actually enjoyed slow days; they gave him time to think and watch people outside. It was always a nice distraction when a customer came in, but then they were rude and always appeared miffed when their treats were so "expensive" when the prices were clearly displayed. Then there were the others who were indecisive and stood arguing with themselves for ten minutes. Harry enjoyed teasing and flirting with these customers. They always got flustered and blushed. Mrs. Pots would come to their rescue by either telling Harry to go check on something in the back or by telling him to buzz off and embarrassing both Harry and the customer. Occasionally Harry would tease and ruffle a customer so much they ran out blushing and stuttering. (Mrs. Pots would never let him live down that day.)

"Can you sweep up, Harry?" Mrs. Pots asked handing him an old broom.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Pots," Harry said taking the broom from his boss.

"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sherry? Mrs. Pots makes me sound so old," his boss said.

"But you are old," Harry replied cheekily. Mrs. Pots gasped with mock offense and slapped his arm before she whirled back to the kitchen.

Harry chuckled as he began to sweep. As he swept, he began to think, and as he thought, he glanced up at the picture of the building he wanted to purchase for his own restaurant. There was an old building down the block from his apartment that had gone on the market a year ago. No one had bought it yet and Harry was hoping that it stayed that way. He had saved up enough money to buy the place, and, with the inheritance he'd gotten from his uncle, he had enough to furnish it and stay afloat for the first bit, but what happened after the first bit was what had Harry hesitating. Ever since he was a little boy, he had dreamed of own his own restaurant. Now that it was so close, he was terrified. It would either be a great success or a total failure. What would he do if it failed? What would he do with his life? He didn't know anything else.

Thinking about the future had him thinking about the boy he'd seen outside of yoga the other day. He was so gorgeous and sarcastic, a fine quality in Harry's opinion.  _Like what you see, big boy?_ Sassy was a much better description. The girl, Lila, that the boy had been with worked at the bakery. She and Harry had different shifts, but Harry could always wait for her so he could talk about the boy and learn a little more about him. The happiness and excitment that zinged through Harry at the mere thought of the possibility of meeting the boy again had him singing to himself and dancing as he swept. Curious as to Harry's good mood, Mrs. Pots stood in the kitchen doorway and watched Harry shake his hips wtih an amused smile. She'd seen this only a handful of times before. "What's all this about?" she asked.

Harry froze and faced his boss. "What's what about?"

"The hip shaking and the singing," Mrs. Pots replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Harry blushed and glanced at his feet. "Oh, nothing."

Mrs. Pots snorted. "Harry, you've worked here for eight years. Who had caught your fancy this time?" It was never hard to get Harry to spill the details when he was "in love". 

"It's this boy I saw after yoga. He's the most gorgeous person I've ever seen. He was with Lila. I think they'd just come from Zumba..." Harry's eyes took on a far away look as he thought about the boy dancing. Those hips...

"Harry!" Mrs. Pots called. "What's the young man's name?"

Harry let out a broken cry and dropped the broom with a loud clatter when he slapped his hands to his face. "I don't know! I was too love struck to say anything! I couldn't even come up with a reply to his question. He asked me  _Like what you see, big boy?_ and I couldn't even come up with a reply! What am I going to do? What if I never see him again? What am I going to do?"

"Just ask Lila what his name is. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to help you. It's all she see seems to talk about on her shift. She's quite the matchmaker."

Harry closed the distance between them in one long stride. He gripped his boss' shoulders and leaned close to her. "When does she work again?"

Mrs. Pots put a hand on his chest and pushed him back a bit before she answered, "She asked off the rest of the week for a family matter, but she'll be back next Thursday." Harry nodded and let her go. Mrs. Pots reached into the case of goods and pulled out a pastry criss-crossed with cream cheese icing. "Here, love, have a scone."

* * *

Louis walked into the kitchen where his mom was making stew for dinner. He often helped with dinner since he wasn't doing much else. He should move out--he felt too old to live with his parents--but he didn't want to be alone. He was a social creature and not having a mate meant living alone. He supposed he could get a roommate, but who would he want to live with? "Can I help mom?"

Louis' mom looked at him with a smile. "Sure, sweets. Can you chop these carrots?" She handed him the carrots and pointed at the cutting board she'd set out earlier. Louis grabbed a knife from the knife block and began cutting. His mind wandered to the boy he'd seen after Zumba. He couldn't get his shocked face out of his head. He really wished the boy had said something, even if it was just stupid, stuttered phrases. Lila hadn't shut up about him on the drive to her place. Louis had fallen asleep thinking about curls and green eyes. He might have to start going to yoga (even if he didn't believe in the energy exchanges and all the other hippy crap Lila tried to explain to him). He'd been so busy thinking and day dreaming about who he'd decided to call "Curly" that he hadn't realized he'd been dancing for himself until his mom said, "Those Zumba classes are starting to pay off."

Louis felt his cheeks heat up and muttered. "Like hell they are."

Louis' mom's head fell back as she laughed. "Who has you so happy you're dancing?"

Louis carried the carrots over to the pot of stew and pushed them in with the knife he'd used. "Some tall, lanky thing coming out of a yoga class."

Just after he said it, Louis's sisters--Fizzy and the twins--popped their heads in. "Did we hear that Louis has a boyfriend?" Fizzy asked.

"No," Louis snapped, answering too quickly.

"So yes," Fizzy said.

The twins looked at each other and began skipping around the kitchen singing, "Louis has a boyfriend! Louis has a boyfriend!" at the top of their lungs.

 


	3. Trying to Hide, Love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that last note was...different...
> 
> Hope you're all enjoying it! You're support means everything!

"I'll be back later, mom!" Louis called as he headed out the front door. He skipped down the stairs and hopped into the passenger seat of Lila's car. "Why can't I drive again?"

"Because you killed the last five fish you tried to own. How can I expect you to treat my car right when you obviously neglect your poor, poor fishes?"

"I believe the plural of fish is fish," Louis corrected.

Lila shot him a dirty look and turned up the radio. Louis hadn't heard the song before, but Lila obviously had and she was belting the lyrics out. "I'll give you some oh-la-la...Voulez vous coucher avec moi?...I got you breaking into a sweat...Got you hot, bothered, and wet...You nasty boy..." Louis gaped at her. He knew she had a dark, slutty side (he saw enough of it at Zumba), but he'd never heard it vocalized before. The song kept going and she kept singing. "Oh no, oh there I go again...I need a spanking, 'cause I've been bad...So let my body do the talkin'...I'll slip you that hot, sweet, sexy loving..."

Louis turned down the music. "Where did you learn this? Where did you hear this? Does your brother know? God, he's going to kill me. He'll think I've been a bad influence."

"Calm down, Lou. He won't know. Want to hear about my dream I had last night?" Lila took her eyes off the road to leer at her friend.

"Eyes on the road and then you can tell me." Louis said. "Should I be scared?"

"Terrified." Lila said her voice colored by some perverse glee. "I had a dream that Ashton held me down and pounded into me. He said so many filthy things and--"

"Shut up!" Louis screeched. "I don't want to hear that! Christ, Lila!" Lila threw her head back and cackled. "You are a terrible human being. And I don't think Ashton is a pounder."

"I beg to differ."

"You don't really want Ashton do you?" Louis asked as they pulled into a spot at the gym.

"No. I've got my sights on that boy from we saw the other day. I see him all the time. He'll probably be there again today. Maybe I'll sneak out of Zumba early and see him."

"You will not," Louis growled. "He's mine."

Lila snorted. "You don't even know his name."

"Details, Lila, details." Louis dismissed as they walked out of the locker room and towards their Zumba class. Louis was not ashamed when he stood for a good two minutes outside the yoga room door only to admit to himself that it was indeed empty. Lila yanked him down the hall and around the corner muttering about how stupid he was and how he need to get his ass moving.

"Hey Lila! You're friend came again!" The instructor greeted loudly. She and Lila hugged. Louis waved awkwardly.

"It wasn't as hard to convince him to tag along this time," Lila shared. "I think it has something to do with this guy he saw after class yesterday. Poor baby is here because he hopes to see him again."

"I'm right here young lady," Louis said.

Lila and the instructor giggled sounding suspiciously alike and then it was just Lila and Louis when the instructor bounced to the front of the room. Louis and Lila stood chatting at the back of the room before the class started and then the instructor was shouting at them all to take their places and get ready to go. The two friends didn't have time nor the breath to talk any more, except for a break between songs when Lila grabbed her water bottle and asked, "Lou, where's your water?"

Louis, obviously pretending, looked down at the empty space where he should have put his water next to Lila's. "Well, it seems to have not made it from the car to the gym. Did I even have it in the car?"

Lila rolled her eyes. "Go get some water, idiot."

Louis skipped out of the room and right past the water fountains. He skipped all the way around the corner and down to the door to the yoga room. There was a window in it, tall and thin. One Louis didn't have to stand on his tip toes to see through. (He was short, not terribly so, but short enough that he had trouble seeing through some things.) He had a rather nice view of "Curly" who was bent at the knees and twisted with his back to the window. Louis sighed happily, melting a bit at the sight of broad shoulders and strong back. Louis was going to try not to let his mind wander down the path "Curly's" legs wanted to carry him down. The people twisted to the other side. Louis ducked out of the window, but not before he was noticed and smirked at by "Curly". Louis' heart hammered in his chest, harder than it pumped during Zumba or any other physical activity. He had most definitely been seen. How mortifying, though not mortifying enough for Louis to not sneak another peak in the window again. He could probably be charged with some crime doing this. Watching "Curly" move through the positions was one of the most...alluring...arousing...mouth-watering...

"Shit," Louis hissed when the door was suddenly opened by a couple of girls coming out of the now finished yoga class. Louis pressed himself against the wall, hoping to look casual, like he was waiting for someone else and not creepily watching a stranger do yoga.

"Curly" was talking with a girl who was obviously flirting with him as he exited the room. As she was saying something, he looked over her (he was very tall, easily a head and shoulders above Louis) at the boy pressing himself against the wall. "Trying to hide, love?" he asked Louis.

Now it was Louis' turn to be speechless. He dropped his eyes and relaxed against the wall. "Curly" chuckled and returned his attention to the girl who was now tapping her foot impatiently.

Lila came up to Louis with a huge, mocking smirk plastered on her sweaty, flushed face. "That was some water break, baby."

"Curly" was about to turn the corner, but remembered he had to ask the boy what his name was, but when he turned around, Lila was already talking to him and for some reason that made him nervous, so he turned away and began walking down the hall. Why did Lila make him nervous? She was a beta and he was an alpha. There was no way he should be scared of her. Nodding resolutely to himself, he turned again to speak and came face to face with the boy. Lila kept walking, not noticing (or noticing and ignoring) that Louis had stopped. She was at the end of the hall when she turned and called Louis to her.

"Sorry," the boy mumbled.

"Curly" turned around and said, "It's okay." But the boy and Lila disappeared around the corner before he recovered. "You're an idiot," he muttered to himself.

Bursting through the locker room door, Lila was practically on her knees she was laughing so hard. Louis stood over her with his arms crossed over his chest and a pout on his lips. "What's so funny?"

"You are. You've got to talk to him if you want this to go anywhere."

"Who says I do?"

"The fact you're blushing still. Now stay out so that I can change."

Louis huffed and stood outside the girl's locker room door. Lila emerged still giggling a couple of minutes later in dry clothes. "Take-out and movies at my place?"

"Sure you don't want all-organic fruit mush patties without proper buns?" Louis asked.

"Well, I thought you liked take-out more, but if those are what you want..."

"No, no! Take-out sounds lovely." 


	4. "Curly's" Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! Hope you all had a good night's rest!

Harry gave the counter one final wipe with the wet rag before tossing the cloth in the bucket at his feet and looking over his work proudly. "Beautiful," he murmured patting the counter. He glanced at the door to be sure it was indeed locked, and then went back to the kitchen. He dumped the dirty water in the sink and rinsed the cloth out, hanging on the bar next to the sink like Mrs. Pots wanted. Harry took off his apron, walked over to Mrs. Pots office, and knocked on the slightly open door. 

Mrs. Pots snorted and jerked up in her seat. "Huh? What? Who's there?"

"It's just me, Sherry," he said as he slowly walked in. "It's time to go home." Harry helped her stand from her chair even though she put up a little bit of resistance. He held her coat out for her so she could slip into it and he remembered to grab her purse out of the filing cabinet. "My lady," he said offering her his arm. Mrs. Pots took it and together they turned out the kitchen lights before going out the back. Harry stood by her side as she manually unlocked her door and got in. "Have a good night, Sherry. I'll see you Friday afternoon," Harry said before he closed her door.

Mrs. Pots waved as she back out of her spot and pulled into traffic. Harry went to his own car, humming and singing bits of songs. He pulled out of the parking lot heading the opposite direction of Mrs. Pots. A particularly good drum solo had him banging his hands against the steering wheel at a red light, though a car horn broke him out of it after the light had gone green. Harry frowned in the rear view mirror as he pulled forward and then took a left into an empty parking lot. He got out of the car and sat on the hood to look at the building. It was brink, though the bricks appeared faded and dusty with time. A few of the windows had been broken by kids throwing rocks or trying to find a place to fool around, but someone had eventually become smart enough to break the lock on the back door as a way to get in. It was just a couple of things on the list to be fixed, but Harry loved the place no less. Harry smiled as he got back into the car. Soon it would be his. Soon it would be the greatest restaurant on the block. Soon he would have his dream.

The ride to his apartment was quick after that. He parked and locked his door with the key fob creating a loud honk in the otherwise quiet parking lot. Walking up to the elevator, Harry met up with his neighbor Zayn and his blonde girlfriend Amanda. "Hey, Zayn. Hey, Amanda," Harry greeted.

"Hi Harry," they replied at the same time. Then they looked at each other with the same excited, shocked faces. "Jinks!" They said loudly at the same time. "Jinks again!"

Harry shook his head focusing on the elevator doors rather than the couple mumbling quietly to themselves. Zayn and Amanda were a nice, un-mated pair that lived down the hall from Harry. Zayn was a teacher and artist. Amanda was a writer for the newspaper. Harry knew Zayn was planning on asking Amanda to mate with him. Zayn's sister was completely against it. Harry liked Amanda and didn't really see any reason why they shouldn't mate. The elevator came bursting the couple's bubble and refocusing Harry. The three of them got in; Harry stood to the side while the couple cuddled in the corner. "Must you be so...couple-y in public?" Harry sighed as the elevator began to ascend. "Can't you keep it to yourselves?" Luckily the elevator ride was quick and they were off the elevator before Harry felt the need to puke.

"Just you wait, Harry. You'll find a nice kid to settle down with and then we'll see who's teasing," Zayn said as he stopped at his door.

"Fuck off, Zayn," Harry muttered fondly as he continued down the hall to his door. Zayn's laughter was the last thing he heard before he closed his door. Harry leaned against the door and tilted his head back until it hit the wood behind it. He took a deep breath in and out of his nose before lowering his eyes to his apartment. It seemed larger than it ever had and more quiet than it'd ever been. He dropped his keys on the floor next to his shoes as he moved into the living area and dropping down on the faded brown couch. He'd had this since his first apartment after school. It was a yard-sale find that he'd split with his old roommate. Harry had gotten all the furniture from that first apartment when his roommate had moved away. He'd sold most of it since it didn't fit in his new apartment. That money had been saved for the restaurant. 

_You'll find a nice kid to settle down with..._

What Zayn didn't know was that Harry already found his kid. The thought of settling down with the boy outside of yoga was a new one, but it was extremely tempting. Harry wanted nothing more than to have the boy with him now. At least this last time, Harry had been the one to say something and the boy had been the speechless one. That was how it should be, though Harry knew it probably wouldn't be like that often.

Harry closed his eyes and just imagined the boy was here. Right now, Harry saw him standing before him in one of Harry's shirts and a pair of sweatpants.  _Like what you see, big boy?_ Harry nodded to his fantasy. His fantasy began to strip and Harry's mouth dropped open.  _I'm liking this even more, baby..._ Harry told his fantasy. He was hard in his pants now, almost painfully so as the fantasy dropped the rest of his clothes. The fantasy turned with a saucy grin, one that showed he knew exactly what he was doing to Harry. Harry unzipped his pants and pulled them down a bit, then reached into his boxers and wrapped a hand around his cock. His fantasy straddled his waist with a teasing smirk. Harry could practically smell the arousal wafting off his fantasy.  _So tight, baby..._ Harry groaned as his fantasy sank down on him. It would have been embarrassing how fast Harry got himself off to his fantasy. He sat limp on the couch with his breaths coming out in pants. He needed a name, a date, a kiss...something more real, and he knew exactly who to go to for help.


	5. Learning Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really should be studying...

Louis flopped onto his bed with an exasperated sigh. Lila followed him in and closed the door. She was smiling at him like she would smile at a kid. "Don't look at me like that," Louis griped.

"Then stop acting like a baby."

"But I want "Curly" and I don't know what his real name is or where he lives or where he works. I have no way to find out. I'm in love and I'll never know if anything will ever come."

"You could always talk to him the next time you see him," Lila said as she checked her nails. 

"If you haven't noticed, we seem to struggle with our words," Louis grumbled.

"I know. It's highly amusing." Louis stuck his tongue out at her. Lila began giggling. "There's always another option."

Louis arched an eyebrow at her. "And that would be?"

"Ask you dearest friend who he is and where he works and if he's single or not."

Louis flipped over so fast he almost knocked Lila off his bed. "You know him?" he shouted. Lila nodded looking quite pleased with herself. "And you're just now saying something?" Another smug nod. "I don't think we can be friends anymore."

"Well, in that case I'll just be going." Lila hopped off the bed and began to move towards the door. 

Louis jumped off his bed and tackled Lila. "No! Stay! We can be friends if you tell me his name and where he works and if he's single."

"Lou, that's my ear you just shouted in," Lila grumbled shoving him off of her. She pushed herself off the floor and brushed her clothes off. "His name is Harry and he works a different shift at Mrs. Pots' bakery. He is single and I've been trying to set him up with someone for forever. I don't know why I never thought of you."

"It just shows how much you care about me," Louis mumbled. Then his face split into a huge grin and he sagged where he sat. "Harry," he sighed. "Harry and Louis forever."

"Gross," Lila groaned pretending to vomit.

* * *

 

Harry showed up twenty minutes early to his shift at the bakery to "accidentally" run into Lila. He was going to ask about her friend. He wanted to know his name and what he did and what he was like and if he was available. He'd spent most of his waking hours thinking about him. He was in love with his fantasy; now he wanted to love the real thing.

"Harry, you're early," Mrs. Pots observed.

"I know. Is Lila out front?"

"Yes. Why?" Mrs. Pots followed Harry out. "Oh! Does she know your mystery man?"

Harry didn't reply, but greeted Lila. "Hey, Lila."

Lila turned, leaned against the counter, and looked up at the tall alpha with a smug grin. "Hi, Harry. How may I help you this fine afternoon?"

"You know your friend?"

"I know many of my friends."

"The friend you took to Zumba the other day. The one who has blue eyes."

Lila tapped her chin and looked up at the ceiling while she thought. "I've got a couple of friends with blue eyes and I've taken more than a few of my friends to Zumba."

"The boy who asked me if I liked what I saw," Harry said. 

"My, my Harry. Louis certainly has put you in a tizzy."

Harry grinned. "Louis. That's a good name. Louis...Louis...Louis...What's he like?"

"Sassy. He's got a mouth on him, but he's sweet and actually likes his siblings. He doesn't like dancing, so having an excuse to sneak out of Zumba makes him happy. He's my best friend."

Harry nodded, taking it all in. "What does he do?"

"He acts a bit, but not seriously. He can't seem to settle on any idea for too long."

Harry thanked Lila and then walked back into the kitchen with a dopey smile on his face. Mrs. Pots looked at Lila with a conspiratory smirk. "I like seeing him like this," the old lady admitted.

"Louis' about ten times worse though. All he can talk about is Harry this and Harry that. He hasn't even properly talked to him yet."

"Who will you match up now?" Mrs. Pots asked.

"My brother. He needs someone other than me to spend his time and energy on."

Harry popped his head out of the kitchen. "How old is Louis?"

"I'm not telling you everything. What will you talk about on your first date if I do?"

"Oh my goodness. I have to ask him out, don't I? How do I do that?" Harry's love struck expression dissolved into one of panic.

"Uh...with your words," Lila suggested.

"What do I say?"

Lila blinked at him. Louis really had done a number on Harry if he was this nervous. "Louis, do you want to get dinner sometime?" Lila said.

"What about...I don't know...a grand gesture of some sort?"

Lila wrinkled her nose. "Just ask him. Louis can be a dramatic person sometimes, but he appreciates the simpler things, trust me."

Harry disappeared, but Lila and Mrs. Pots could hear him mumbling to himself as he moved about the kitchen. 

"He's baking something, isn't he?" Lila asked Mrs. Pots.

The boss looked through the door. "Yep. Louis has got Harry completely out of whack. What did he do to the poor boy?"

"Nothing. They can't even speak to each other when they meet at the gym. It's like watching two mimes try to tell the other to get out of the way."

Mrs. Pots chuckled as she went back into her office. Lila departed with a sung salutation to Harry. Harry just grunted, not looking up from the batter he was stirring.


	6. Smooth Moves

Louis' knee bounced nervously as he sat on a bench across from the bakery Harry and Lila worked at. He was debating whether he should go in and talk to Harry or if he should just leave. Harry might not want anything more than the teasing that had started at the gym. Maybe Louis wasn't the one Lila claimed Harry talked about non-stop (though that was a flimsy excuse at best). 

 **Lila:** Get your ass in there. Stop dawdling. You're being dumb, idiotic, moronic.

Louis scowled at his phone. She could be a really mean friend.

 **Louis:** I'm going, I'm going. Calm down.

She sent a quick  _I'm not calmed up_ before he pocketed his phone, crossed the street and entered the bakery. His stomach growled as soon as he stepped over the threshold. He'd been too nervous throughout the day to eat anything more than a couple bites of toast and less than a full bite of his sandwich at lunch. His mother had been worried when he didn't eat at breakfast, and Lila had been nothing but the kind, understanding friend she was at lunch. (If you could call almost shoving the sandwich down his throat and telling him to grow a pair and not be such a girl kind and understanding.) The lack of proper food all day made his eyes widen at the selection behind the counter and a bad desire to buy one of everything burn in his chest. There was just an older lady behind the counter and she was watching him with a grandmotherly smile as he slowly approached the glass over the pastries. The door behind the old lady, the one Louis assumed led to the kitchen, opened drawing the attention of both the lady and Louis. Louis' breath caught in his throat. Harry stood halfway through the door with a tray of extra-large cookies in his hand. The swinging door to the back landed on his back, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too busy staring at Louis. The lady looked between the two boys and nodded to herself. "I see. Well, I'll be in the back, Harry." She patted the lanky boy on his shoulder hissing, "Get a move on." Harry looked after her with a strange scared look and then he turned back to Louis.

"Let me just get these put away and I'll be right with you," Harry murmured shuffling forward with the tray.

Louis nodded, looking at his feet. That sentence was the most Harry had ever said to him. The baker had a slow, deep voice that overwhelmed Louis in the best possible way. Louis watched him put the cookies on an almost empty plate behind the glass. Harry placed the now empty tray on the counter and turned to the lone customer. Louis looked back at him with his teeth nibbling on his bottom lip. Harry almost gave in to the urge to leap over the counter and kiss Louis senseless. He instead opted for asking him what he'd like.

"What do you recommend?" Louis asked.

Harry looked at him for a moment then down at the glass display case full of pastries, cookies, little bits of bread...what did he recommend? If he knew Louis' tastes a little better he could figure it out, but he didn't and now he was completely stumped. "Well, uh, Mrs. Pots makes a mean pound cake, so, um, that's good. And the chocolate chip cookies are always great, so those are good too. I like the apple pie...um..."

Louis interupted when Harry stalled for ideas. "Is that cheesecake?" 

"What?" Harry looked where Louis was tapping on the glass. "Oh, yeah. Mrs. Pots' secret recipie. She won't even share it with me and I practically co-own the place. I keep telling her she's going to have to give it to me sometime since she won't always be around, but she just tells me that I'll know it someday. Someday seems so far away..." Harry sighed off into a blush. "I've been rambling, haven't I?"

Louis had two options: he could embarrass Harry by saying yes or he could reassure him by saying no. Lila would probably choose the former option, and normally Louis would too, but today, he felt like reassuring the nervous alpha. "No, no. You're fine, but how about that slice of cheesecake?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure...uh...what kind do you want?" Harry slid the door to the glass case open and had a little box ready to carry a slice of cake. 

"Strawberry please," Louis said.

Harry got a slice of strawberry cheesecake out and placed it carefully in the box. He moved to the cash register, sliding the box across the counter to Louis. "You're Louis, right?" Harry asked as he took Louis' money to pay for the cake. 

"I am," Louis said with a smile. 

"I hope you don't mind, but, um, I asked Lila what your name was. You don't mind, do you? God, I probably sound really stalker-ish right now. I'm sorry. I promise I'm not."

Louis tried really hard not to laugh, but it was so hard seeing an Alpha so flustered and embarrassed. With the "stalker-ish" comment, a couple of giggles slipped past Louis' lips. 

"Are you laughing at me?" Harry asked, but there was a teasing glint in his eye letting Louis know he wasn't upset with him.

"No, I'm not. I-" Louis was going to say  _I promise_ , but another chuckle negated that and then he was laughing quietly to himself. "You're not stalker-ish. I asked Lila about you too, Harry."

Harry nodded, counting out Louis' change and handing it to him. 

Louis took his change and the box saying, "Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome, Louis."

Louis began walking away, trying to breathe properly but failing miserably. Just as his hand touched the door, he was stopped by a shout, "Louis!"

He turned and had to fight the urge to laugh again. Harry was leaning over the counter with a wild, almost desperate look in his eyes. His t-shirt was being stretched down by the angle he was bent over the counter allowing Louis to see some of his strong chest. The sight (and possible the smell of food) had his mouth watering. "Do you want to go on a date with me? We could get lunch, or dinner, or something like that, but would you want to go on a date with me? Maybe like on Friday or something?"

Louis' face split into a grin. "I'd love to go on a date with you, but I have...plans...the rest of this week. Uh...want to do dinner next week?"

Harry nodded, too happy to worry about what "plans" Louis might have. "Yeah. Dinner sounds great."

Louis walked over to him and grabbed a napkin on his way from a dispenser perched on top of the glass case. "Do you have a pen or something?" Harry scrambled to find one by the register. His hand shook as he handed it to Louis. "Here's my number. Get in touch, okay?"

Harry nodded, folding the napkin in his big hand. Louis smiled and waved as he said goodbye and left. Harry watched him out the door and down the sidewalk. He was only vaguely aware of the kitchen door opening. "Those were some smooth moves, Harry," Mrs. Pots teased.

Harry wasn't really paying attention. He was still trying to see Louis, though the boy was out of his sight. "Yeah, smooth moves," he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! You all mean the absolute world to me! Please let me know what you all think!


	7. Needing Permission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Love you all so much! I'm procrastinating really hard right now...sigh. If only an exam was not something I dreaded...

Louis' plans for the rest of the week included only one thing: his heat. Every six months he had to spend three or four days locked in his room, writhing on his bed and trying to take care of himself as best he could. He'd been warm when he went to the bakery, and in the short time it took him to get to his house, his body temperature had risen a couple of degrees. It probably had not been the best idea to visit Harry today because now he had his smell floating through his body, having memorized it when they'd been leaning towards each other while he paid. He also had plans with Harry and knew Harry wanted to be with him. Two bad ideas because when he finally succumbed to his full heat that night, he had no will to help himself. What if Harry didn't want him to help himself? He'd be disappointed if he found out Louis had done that, and the thought of disappointing Harry was unimaginable at this point and time. 

Louis pushed his blankets off of him and divested himself of his clothes trying to cool off a bit, but it did little to help. He pushed his sweaty hair out of his eyes as he laid in bed. He whimpered as his body twitched. He could feel his cock hard against his stomach, but he was reluctant to touch himself. Harry...he didn't know what Harry wanted him to do. Louis lifted his hips in the air, trying in vain to get some friction. Louis whimpered when he found no relief. "Harry...Harry...Harry..." Louis called weakly. He could keep a secret from Harry. Harry didn't have to know he used his toys. But the idea of keeping a secret from his alpha was unpalatable.  _His alpha_? Where did that come from? They hadn't even gone on a date! Harry wasn't his, but the amount of time he'd spent thinking about him, dreaming about him, talking about him made Harry feel like his. 

"Harry's not here," Louis mumbled to himself. He rolled out of bed, his hormone infested body uncoordinated causing him to flop on floor with a thud. He crawled towards his closet where he kept his black box. "Harry's not here," he said to himself again as he pulled the door open. The box stared back at him, daring him to use what was inside. His will to use the toys suddenly vanished at the sight. He cried out in frustration. He needed relief. He was going to go insane with out it.

"Lou, baby, what's--oh!" 

Louis looked up from where he was sitting by his closet to see his mom standing in his bedroom doorway. He whimpered and curled away from her. He only wanted one person and that was Harry. 

"Let's get you back in bed. I'll get the box. C'mon," Louis' mom approached him slowly, reaching out to help him to his feet and into bed. Louis shouted out and crawled further into his closet. He was not going to let anyone other than Harry touch him.

His mom stopped, her confusion evident. "Lou, it's me. It's your mom."

"Harry," Louis croaked. "I want Harry." His mom might be able to get Harry to come over. Moms could do anything. 

Louis' mom looked at her son, how his body twitched and jerked, how he whined and whimpered. She backed away and made a quick phone call. Louis might listen to someone who wasn't family. "Hey, Lila...I'm sorry to call this late, but it's an emergency...Louis, well...he's wanting Harry. I don't have his number." Her call was interrupted by a rather anguished cry from Louis who was still curled in his closet, the unsatisfied need slowly becoming more painful. "Yeah, that'd be great."

Five minutes later, Lila burst into Louis' room. She was in her Tweety Bird pajama pants and an old college sweatshirt from her mom. Louis trembled both from need and from the fear of having someone other than Harry or his family in his room when he was so vulnerable. "Lou, you've got to help yourself. You're going to lose your mind," Lila said.

"Want...Harry," Louis ground out through his teeth. 

"That's a lot to ask from him, Lou. You haven't even gone on a date."

Tears leaked from Louis' eyes. Why couldn't Harry come and help him? Where was he? "It hurts," Louis groaned.

Lila sighed as she reached into the closet and opened Louis' black box. She held up a toy, but Louis shook his head and cowered in the corner of the closet. His eyes were glazed over and his face was flushed from the heat. Sweat dripped in his eyes making them red. His lips were close to bleeding they'd been nibbled on so long. Lila dropped the toy and picked up her phone. 

Harry was in bed completely out when his phone started ringing. The song he had set as he ringtone worked its way into his dream before finally waking him up. He reached blindly for his phone on his nightstand and pulled it under his blanket to answer. "Hello?" he grunted.

"Hey, Harry. It's Lila. This is going to sound really weird, but it's for Louis."

Harry was instantly awake when she mentioned the blue-eyed boy. "What's wrong?"

"He's in heat, but he wants you. I'm not asking you to come over here and do anything about it. I know that'd be a little much and a little sudden, but could you at least tell him to help himself. He won't touch his toys and I think it's because he doesn't want you to be mad at him. He's got himself convinced he's yours already."

Her words sunk into Harry's mind and had his body reacting. She was right; if he went over and actually helped Louis, things could get messy. He didn't want to take advantage of Louis and make things awkward between them. "Yeah, yeah. Can you put him on?" He heard some shuffling and a hissed order (one that would have less effect than his would because Lila was only a beta, but it would be effective none the less) on the other side of the line and then he was greeted by sharp, painful pants. "Louis?"

"Harry," the little omega whined.

"Baby, I need you to do something for me."

"Harry, it hurts."

"I know, baby, I know. I want you to help yourself. Use your toys until I can help you." It wasn't a total lie. Harry would be able to help him in the future, just not right now. "Can you do that for me, baby?"

"Yeah, yeah," Louis panted.

The phone changed hands and then Lila was back. "Thanks, Harry. I'm sorry I had to wake you up, but it was the only option."

"I get it. Thanks for helping him," Harry murmured.

"Anything for my favorite boys. Go to sleep." Harry could tell the last bit was supposed to an order but he wasn't affected by it. The call ended and his hand flew to his hard cock, climaxing embarrassingly fast at the idea of Louis in heat and using toys to help himself.

Louis, still curled in the corner of his closet, reached for the purple vibrator Lila had pulled out of his box. Lila had left him, but he knew she'd positioned herself right outside his door. Harry wanted him to help himself. He wanted to please Harry, so he turned the vibrator onto its highest setting and thrust it inside of him. His orgasm was almost immediate. His hands shook, making his efforts to move the toy almost futile, but he managed. The vibrator pulled two more orgasms out of him, but it wasn't enough. He'd let things build up too much, and hearing Harry's voice seemingly magnified everything. He rummaged around in his box until he found his favorite dildo. The transition between vibrator and dildo was thankfully quick thanks to years of practice. Louis sighed happily when the dildo, a more substantial toy than the vibrator, slipped easily inside him. "Harry..." Louis sighed as he imagined it was Harry slipping inside of him instead of the now unsavory toy. 

When he emerged from his hormone induced haze he would be embarrassed about how needy he'd been, how desperate he'd been for Harry, but right now, knowing that Harry wasn't going to be upset with him, Louis felt pretty good.


	8. A Proper Date

Louis stood in front of his mirror for a good twenty minutes fully dressed and nervous. Fizzy was sitting on his bed chattering away having already deemed him presentable. He'd thrown Lila out when she had started to aggravate him with her less than helpful comments. She was banging her head against his door trying to annoy him into letting her in again. "You'll kill brain cells like that," he told her opening the door. 

"I don't have that many to begin with," Lila murmured jumping to her feet. She looked him over and actually grinned. "You look good, kid."

"Yeah?" Louis turned back to the mirror. "Maybe a different blazer."

Lila leaped across the room and slammed the closet door closed. "No! No more changing Louis. You've got two minutes to get downstairs."

"That's plenty of time to change my blazer."

Lila narrowed her eyes. "Go downstairs."

Louis huffed, turning on his heel and trudging down the stairs. He was so nervous. What if things didn't go well? His embarrassment would be ten-fold then. Why couldn't he have just taken care of himself like he had for the past eight years? Harry probably thought he was too clingy, too needy. Lila had assured him that this was most definitely not the case, that Harry had been horribly distracted at work, but Louis couldn't believe her. His mind had settled on the embarrassment and it wouldn't budge from the thoughts his shame led him down. How ridiculous that he'd needed Harry's permission. 

"Oh, Lou," his mom cooed. "You look wonderful."

The twins looked up from their coloring books and smiled at him. Lila patted him on the shoulder and then put an arm around Louis' mom's shoulders. "Our little boy is growing up, Mrs. Tomlinson." They pretended to wipe tears from their eyes just as the doorbell rang. Louis' face paled as he caught sight of Harry through a window. "Do you want me to get the--" But before Lila could finish her question, Fizzy was already at the door and pulling it open. 

"Hi," her little voice chirped. 

Louis scrambled to the door to pull his sister away. Fizzy shot him a dirty look that he ignored as he looked up at Harry. His date was dressed in tight jeans and a flannel shirt that was open over the top part of his chest. He somehow managed to make his curls wild, but presentable and they weren't held back by a scarf or a bandanna tonight. Harry was smiling at him when Louis' eyes finally met his. "Hi," Louis breathed.

"Hey Lou," Harry returned, reaching out to brush his thumb over Louis' cheek. "You look gorgeous, baby."

"Th-thanks," Louis stuttered, eyes opening after closing when Harry touched him. "So do you."

If possible, Louis' compliment stretched Harry's grin a bit wider. 

"So this is Harry," Mrs. Tomlinson said interrupting to moment.

Louis cleared his throat. "Oh, yeah. Uh, Harry this is my mom. Mom, this is Harry." He felt like a teenager again, though this time he really liked Harry and was desperately hoping his mom would too. What if she didn't like him? Louis felt panic race through his system. Lila was next to him whispering for him to breathe in his ear. 

"It's lovely to finally meet you Harry," Mrs. Tomlinson said extending her hand. "Louis talks of nothing else."

"Mom!" Louis spluttered.

"Well I'm not going to lie to the boy, Lou."

Harry was chuckling as he shook Louis' mom's hand. "It's nice to meet you. I can see where Louis gets his good looks."

Lila rolled her eyes. "That was really lame, Harry."

The alpha shrugged. "Lame, but true."

"It's useless to flatter me, Harry. I've heard it all before."

Harry smiled. "Well, I accept the challenge of finding something you haven't heard before."

"Just go. You two have been here long enough. Don't come back too soon." Lila herded them out the door and closed the door, cutting off a goodbye from Mrs. Tomlinson.

"Shall we?" Harry asked offering Louis his arm.

"We shall," Louis said linking his arm with Harry's.

They walked down the stairs and to Harry's car. Harry opened the door for Louis and waited patiently for him to get settled before closing the door and getting in the driver's side. He made sure the coast was clear before pulling out. "I'm glad you're feeling better," Harry said.

Louis blushed. "Me too. I'm sorry about that whole thing. It was silly and bit...dramatic. I'm sorry."

Harry glanced at the boy sitting next to him with a generous smile. "No need to apologize, baby. I was happy to help you."

"But you shouldn't have needed to. I-"

"Lou, baby. I'm glad you called me. There's absolutely no need to apologize, okay?"

Louis nodded ready to change the subject. "Where are we going?"

"I thought we'd go to one of my favorite places and then to the art gallery. Zayn has a couple of pieces there."

"Who's Zayn?"

"My neighbor. He was just telling me about his last reveal and I really want to see them, but he won't ever show them to me. He doesn't like showing people he knows what he's done. It's highly irritating."

"But he'll put it in a gallery?"

"Yeah, I can see them, but I can't comment on them."

"That's silly."

Harry chuckled. "Tell me about it."

They drove the rest of the way in silence, but a comfortable silence. Louis tapped along to the song on the radio. His fingers slowed when he realized they weren't driving towards any restaurant, but towards a more residential spot. His confusion increased when Harry pulled up to an apartment building. "I hope you don't mind," Harry said. "But I don't trust anyone else's cooking to make a good first impression."

Harry and Louis got out of the car. Harry grabbed Louis' hand and pulled him into the lobby of the apartment. "So we're having dinner at your place?" Louis asked just to clarify the conclusion he'd drawn.

"Yeah. It's not too much is it?" Harry was chewing his lip now as he waited for approval from Louis.

"No. It's just fine. I like a man who can cook."

Harry tugged him into the elevator and pressed the button for floor four. The ride was quick and Louis happily followed Harry down to his apartment. Harry pushed the door open for him and let him in first. Louis looked around and fell in love with the place. It was worn furniture, family pictures, and homey. Louis doubted it was usually this clean, but he didn't mind. He wasn't an OCD neat freak or anything. He liked a little mess. A place needed to be lived in.

"The kitchen is just over here," Harry said. He placed a hand on Louis' lower back to lead him there. Harry had the ingredients for dinner set out and two places set at the island. "Do you want anything to drink? I've got water, milk, orange juice, soda, wine."

"A glass of wine would be lovely," Louis said. 

Harry retrieved the bottle from the fridge and poured a glass for each of them. Louis took off his blazer so he was in just his shirt and jeans before he slipped onto one of the stools at the island. 

"What are you making?" Louis asked.

Harry launched into a story about the meal he was preparing as he washed his hands and rolled up his sleeves. Louis lost a bit of the story as he stared shamelessly at Harry's forearms, but got back into it when Harry turned and talked while waving a rather large knife. Louis smiled as Harry talked and chopped ingredients. Harry knew his way around a kitchen, that much was obvious. Louis had never seen him more in his element, granted this could be because he'd seen him so rarely. "Would you like to help?" Harry asked suddenly.

Louis gulped. "I'm not really...talented in the kitchen."

Harry smiled reassuringly. "That's okay. It's just dinner." Louis slid off his stool and crossed to Harry's side. "Just push this around with a spatula," Harry murmured indicating the frying pan of vegetables. Louis began tentatively pushing the sizzling mix and Harry would occasionally add a little more soy sauce in it. He stood next to Louis stirring a pot of noodles and then he added the noodles to the pan. He took up the space behind Louis and placed his hands over Louis' on the pan handle and the spatula. Louis pressed back into Harry's chest. "Ready?" Harry murmured in Louis' ear.

"For what?"

Harry stopped pushing the food around with the spatula and deposited the utensil on the counter next to the stove. He brought all four of their hands to the frying pan handle and began to slowly prepare to flip the food. 

"Harry, I don't know about this," Louis whispered.

"You can do it, baby. I know you can. One...two...three." 

Louis closed his eyes, but let Harry move his arms and hands to flip the food. When he could tell the pan was hovering over the burner again, he cracked open one eye and then opened both when he saw that there wasn't a giant mess of spilled food. "We did it!"

"We sure did," Harry agreed kissing the top of Louis' head. He never knew it was possible to feel this close to someone so fast. He wanted this forever. He remembered his grandmother telling him she knew she wanted to be mated with his grandfather within twenty minutes of meeting him. "Good job, baby."

Louis twisted his head around so he could look at Harry properly. "I didn't do much."

"You flipped the food," Harry said nodding to the frying pan. 

" _You_  flipped the food."

Harry just shook his head, his eyes slipping back to the food. "I think it's almost ready." A few more seconds of sizzling and Harry turned off the stove. "Have a seat, baby." Louis went back to the stool he'd sat in and let Harry portion out the stir fry. He waited for Harry to top off their drinks and take a seat before lifting his fork. He was just about to take a bite before Harry placed a hand on his wrist. "Wait." Harry blew on a forkful and took a bite. He chewed, swallowed, and thought before smiling. "Okay. It's good."

Louis took his own bite and almost dropped his fork. "Holy hell," he gasped after he swallowed. "This is amazing."

"Yeah?"

Louis nodded, quickly taking another bite. They didn't talk much as they ate, but after the food was gone, they did talk. They talked about everything. They talked so much, it was past one in the morning when they realized they hadn't moved from the stools and the bottle of wine was almost gone. "I should get you back. You're mom will be worried."

"I am twenty-three years old. My mom will not be worried about me."

"I'm twenty years old," Harry said as he stood, stretching out of the position he'd been in since they finished dinner. Louis did the same, reaching for his blazer, but it wasn't on the chair where he'd put it. "I'm fast," Harry said. He held Louis' blazer out for him and the omega blushed as he put his arms in the sleeves. Harry takes Louis' hand as they went back down the elevator. Harry waved to a girl as she passed them in the lobby. "That's Amanda," Harry explained. "Zayn wants to mate with her."

"Oh?" Louis asked as he looked over his shoulder as the girl got into her own car. 

"Yeah. But I don't like her that much."

That was all Harry had to say on that matter. On the ride home, the two of them crooned along to the late night radio. Harry drove around the block just so they could finish singing along to a song or two. Eventually, Harry did pull up to Louis' house. He opened Louis' door for him and walked him up to the front door. "I had a great time tonight, Lou," Harry murmured as they lingered on the front porch.

"Me too. Can we go on another date?"

"I would love to go on another date, and another one after that, and another one after that, and--"

Louis cut Harry off with a kiss that was meant to be decent and appropriate, but quickly turned hot and steamy.

"There are children in this house, you two. Such displays will ruin their innocence." That would Lila opening the front door and interrupting a very beautiful thing.

Harry pulled back with a wide grin while Louis whined up at the alpha. "Make her go away," Louis mumbled.

"Not tonight, baby. Go on. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Harry pecked Louis' lips one last time and then gave him an encouraging nudge inside. He stood grinning on the front porch, his eyes on Louis until Lila stepped out and closed the door behind her.

"You listen to me Harry Styles," she said. "If you break Louis' heart, I swear to God I will rid you of your manhood as I make a show of your slow torture and dismemberment. Do I make myself clear?"

Harry was an alpha; he was confident, collected, courageous. He wasn't scared of a threat from a beta, but Lila had a tendency to come off more alpha than beta and he was not ashamed to admit that she terrified him. "You make yourself perfectly clear."

Lila smiled, though the threat remained in her eyes. She patted his cheek. "Good boy." Lila turned back and opened the front door. Louis was still on the other side. Lila patted his shoulder as she climbed the stairs. Louis watched her before he darted outside to give Harry one last hug. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Louis." 

The omega left the grinning alpha on the porch before his beta best friend had to come drag him to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love the comments and kudos I've been getting! Thank you all so much!


	9. A Vision With Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loving the support guys! Thank you so much!

Harry looked up as the door to the bakery opened. He grinned so fast his cheeks hurt almost instantly. There was his Louis in the door. It may be cliche, but his boy looked like there was a halo of light around him as he moved forward. Harry walked around the counter (fearing he wasn't coordinated enough to actually jump over it) and pulled Louis against him. He started with playful kisses all over Louis' face before smashing his lips against Louis'. Louis' hands gripped the front of Harry's apron as he held tightly to his alpha. "Hello, baby," Harry greeted when they pulled apart for air. 

"Hi," Louis breathed a little dazed from their kiss.

"What brings you here?" Harry asked.

"You and cheesecake and I wanted to ask if you wanted to come over tonight. My sister is coming over and she has like five kids and she really wants to meet you," Louis said quietly.

"I get off in ten minutes. I can come over after that," Harry said.

Louis smiled. "Wonderful. Can I stay here with you?"

"I wouldn't want you to go anywhere else." Harry took Louis' hand and pulled him behind the counter. Louis hopped up on the back counter and swung his legs as they dangled over the floor. Harry stood next to him, his hip brushing Louis' knee as they talked. Mrs. Pots didn't even blink twice when she saw Louis behind the counter. She'd given the rules of being together in the bakery. Louis could be behind the counter, he could be in the kitchen, he could help Harry bake things, they just couldn't have sex anywhere in her store. (Harry had bemoaned the loss of a great date idea, but this had resulted in being chased around by an "angry" Mrs. Pots with a rolling pin who was shouting about defiling her sanctuary. Louis had just laughed.) Harry was just going to kiss Louis when a customer walked in. They took forever to decide on something. Harry kept throwing Louis semi-annoyed looks that Louis had to bite his lip at to keep from laughing. The customer, too wrapped up in the desserts behind the glass, saw none of Harry's faces except the smile Harry gave all the customers. Finally, the customer decided on a chocolate chip cookie, paid, and left. "A cookie. It took him fifteen minutes to decide on a _cookie_."

"At least he decided and left so we could get back to what we were doing," Louis said reaching out and pulling Harry close to him.

"What were we doing?" Harry asked.

Louis' mouth dropped open feigning offense. "You don't remember?"

Harry tapped his chin, thought, and shook his head. "Nope. Not even an inkling."

Louis pouted. "That's too bad. It would have been wonderful." He pushed Harry away from him so he could hop to the floor. He walked around the counter to make like he was leaving, but then a hand clutching the back of his shirt had him stopping.

"Where are you going?" Harry whined.

"Home. My boyfriend doesn't want to be a good boy."

"I am a very good boy," Harry said, hands on his hips instead of Louis' shirt.

"Prove it," Louis dared turning to face him.

Harry stepped up, crowding Louis' personal space, before snaking an arm around his waist and gently pushing his lips against Louis'. Louis sighed happily as Harry pulled away again. "Better?" Harry murmured.

Louis' nodded, his forehead bushing against Harry's nose as the alpha stood over him.

"Would you two just get out of here?" Mrs. Pots said popping out of the kitchen. "You're making me sick."

"How could you say that, Sherry?" Harry asked. "Look at his face! How could such a cute little thing make you sick?"

Mrs. Pots rolled her eyes. "You are the worst sort of person, Harry."

"Just a couple weeks ago you told me I was the best."

"I changed my mind. Now get out of here." The old lady disappeared to the back. Harry removed his apron and placed it behind the counter. The two of them exited through the front door hands clasped together.

Louis told Harry all about Charlotte and her family. There were five kids, all boys and all much too energetic for anyone but Charlotte to handle well. Louis loved them all and Harry watched as his eyes lit up as he told stories from past visits.

They arrived at the same time a blue minivan did. The door slid open with a loud shout and Louis stumbled to the side. Harry went to catch him, but then Louis swung up with a giggling boy in his arms. "Uncle Lou! Uncle Lou!" came several shrieks from the van. The boy in Louis' arms snuggled against his chest as Louis brought him down. Two more bodies tumbled out of the van and attached themselves to Louis' legs. A girl with two more squirming boys in her arms walked around the back of the van and joined them in front of Louis' house. 

"Hey, Louis," she greeted. The two of them leaned in and greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek. 

"Hey, Charlotte. How are you?" Louis asked.

"I'm tired. Johnny's got a cold and won't sleep," Charlotte explained nodding to the little boy snuggled against Louis' chest. "His fever just broke this morning."

Louis petted the boy's hair as he turned to face Harry. Charlotte had already given Harry a once over. "Charlotte, this is Harry. Harry this is my sister Charlotte."

"It's nice to meet you," Harry said as he extended his hand, but drew it back when he remembered she had her hands full.

"It's nice to meet you too, Harry. I've heard wonderful things about you."

"Likewise."

Charlotte let her head fall back as she laughed. "I'm sure you have."

"Charlotte!" Two little voices called from the front porch. The three adults looked up at the twins who were smiling in the open doorway. The two boys who were around the twins' age detached themselves from Louis' legs and bounded up the stairs. The four of them began running around and shrieking inside as Fizzy and Mrs. Tomlinson came to the door. Charlotte walked up the steps and passed the two boys in her arms to their grandmother. Louis, still carrying Johnny, followed Harry up the stairs to his house. Johnny, soft spoken and little calmer than his brothers, had always been Louis' secret favorite. He was an omega like Louis so they shared a special little bond. Louis greeted his mom with a kiss and Harry greeted both she and Fizzy with hugs. Charlotte pulled the alpha into the living room and sat him down on the couch to get to know him. 

"Do you want to play with the others?" Louis asked Johnny quietly. The little boy shook his head, his white-blonde hair tickling Louis' throat. "Then you and I will just cuddle. Sound good?" Johnny nodded. Louis took a seat in his mother's rocking chair, the one she'd nursed and rocked all of her children in. He slowly rocked Johnny as he watched Harry and Charlotte talk and the other boys roll around on the floor with the twins. His mom and Fizzy dropped on the floor with the others playing and laughing. Finished with Harry, Charlotte dropped into the armchair next to Louis and Johnny. After a few minutes, Mrs. Tomlinson and Fizzy ducked into the kitchen to check on dinner. Harry sank onto the floor with the twins and the boys. He crawled around on the floor joining their game effortlessly. The children climbed on him "tackling" him to the floor. Charlotte and Louis smiled fondly as they watched the dog pile on the floor.

Watching Harry with the kids caused a warm feeling to blossom in Louis' chest. As he ran his fingers soothingly through Johnny's hair after he'd had a coughing fit, Louis couldn't help but imagine having kids with Harry. He had no doubt Harry would be a brilliant father. He wanted kids with Harry and he wanted a lot of them. The feeling was a bit overwhelming and then Harry caught his eye and Louis lost all his ability to breathe. 

"You really like him a lot don't you Lou," Charlotte murmured.

Louis had to tear his eyes away from Harry and the kids on the floor to properly answer his sister. "I do. It's almost painful."

"I totally get that. It was the same way when I met Darren."

"Where is he?" It was rare to see Charlotte without her mate Darren. 

"He had a late meeting. There's some big project his company is trying to complete on time and they're running into a lot of problems. He's so stressed and there's nothing I can really do to help."

Louis reached out and squeezed his sister's shoulder. Charlotte never wanted anyone around her to be upset, something she and Louis had in common. Darren just had one more project with his company and then he was quitting. He had a new job already lined up and Louis hoped he could start it sooner rather than later. His current job was horrendous. 

Johnny sneezed, drawing Charlotte's and Louis' attention. "Alright bud?" Louis murmured.

"Mmhmm," Johnny mumbled. 

"Tired?"

"Yeah."

Louis kept rocking him until dinner was ready. Then he carried Johnny to the dining table and held him in his lap as they ate. He was acutely aware of Harry's eyes on him throughout the meal. It made concentrating on the conversation very difficult. 

Harry was going crazy with his feelings about Louis. Everything intesified the longer he watched Louis cuddle with Johnny the entire time Charlotte and her family were visiting. Harry loved kids and Charlotte's were adorable, but he found himself not fully paying attention to the game he was supposed to be playing with them and focusing more on Louis holding Johnny. He saw Louis rocking  _their_ child late one night and singing softly to him while he tried to get the baby to sleep. It was a picture that made his heart leap in his chest and his body to tingle with happiness. He wanted it. He wanted it more than anything he'd ever wanted before. 

"What time is it?" Charlotte asked as the kids began to tire of their games with Harry and curl up on the floor blinking sleepily at one another.

"It's almost 11:30," Mrs. Tomlinson said looking at the clock over the mantle.

"It's late. I should get going." Charlotte began to pull herself off the armchair she'd been in most of the night.

"Nonsense. Stay here tonight. It's such a long drive back," Mrs. Tomlinson said. 

"There's not enough room for us, though," Charlotte protested. 

"The kids can sleep down here and you can take my bed," Louis said.

"Where will you sleep?" Charlotte asked.

"I'll sleep down here with the kids. Johnny and I can take the couch."

Charlotte wavered between staying or going, but opted to stay. She called Darren quickly to let him know her plans and then kissed her mom, Louis, and her kids goodnight. Louis and Harry stayed with the kids, grabbing as many pillows and blankets as they could to turn the living room into a comfortable sleeping place. Harry settled himself on the floor and the kids gravitated towards him, curling against his sides. His eyes dropped closed long before their quiet conversations died down. Louis made sure Johnny took his medicine before the two of them curled up on the couch. Louis ran his hand through Harry's curls before he fell asleep murmuring, "Wait till we have out own, Harry."


	10. The Side Effects of Cuddling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got one of my favorite comments yesterday! Thank you all so much!

The first thing Louis registered when sleep had abandoned him on the couch was that he was too warm. The second thing he registered was there was a warm little body curled up against his chest. The third thing he registered was the feeling of eyes on his back. Louis put an arm around the little body on his chest and twisted, meeting seven pairs of wide-awake eyes. Seven pairs of eyes blinked at each other and then Louis was tackled by the twins and Charlotte's four other boys. He let out a strangled cry of surprise and Johnny yelped, burrowing further into this favorite uncle. Harry's laughter sounded far away and when Louis caught his alpha's eyes, he scowled. Mrs. Tomlinson came out and rescued her son announcing breakfast is ready. The kids, including Johnny, bounced to the dining table leaving Harry and Louis alone. Louis groaned as he sat up, a hand flying to his head as it throbbed painfully. He was so hot.

"Are you alright, baby?" Harry was knelt next to him now, green eyes wide with concern. 

"Yeah, yeah. Just a little hot. Johnny is a little furnace." Louis pushed the blanket off of him and stood. The room spun a little, but he associated his vertigo with suddenly standing after laying down.

Harry's concern was not assuaged when Louis stood swaying for a few moments. "You're flushed, Louis."

"I just woke up. I was under a blanket. That's all it is." Louis waved Harry off as he turned towards the smell of food. His mom had made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. The warm, familiar smells made Louis happy for all of two seconds, before his stomach made an uncomfortable turn and he had to make a dash for the bathroom. Harry was close on his heels, undeterred by Louis trying to close the door in his face. The omega collapsed next to the toilet and heaved the meager contents of his stomach into the toilet. Harry's warm hand was rubbing up and down Louis' back as the omega shook and shivered by the porcelain throne. Mrs. Tomlinson appeared in the doorway the picture of concerned mother.

"Louis, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Louis mumbled his voice raspy. "I'm hot."

Mrs. Tomlinson knelt down next to Harry, reaching out and touching the back of her hand to Louis' forehead. "You're burning up."

Louis closed his eyes and whimpered as her gentle touch seemed to set off a full body ache. 

"Harry can you help him rinse his mouth while I get the thermometer?" Harry nodded, gently helping Louis to his feet and using a paper cup from the medicine cabinet to help Louis get some water to rinse his mouth with. Harry stepped back so that Mrs. Tomlinson could get her son's temperature. "Oh dear," she murmured. "102 degrees. Take him upstairs and I'll be up in a few minutes."

Harry nodded stepping up to Louis once again. "Let's get you upstairs, baby. You've got a fever." Louis nodded and shuffled forward. He stopped at the foot up the stairs and looked up, the image of the stairs swimming before his eyes. "Need me to carry you?" Harry asked. Louis nodded closing his eyes as the tilting scene before him became too much. Harry carefully shift Louis from the floor to his arms. "Which one is your room, baby?"

"Second door on the left," Louis mumbled.

Harry followed his instructions and laid Louis on top of the blankets on his bed. He dropped into a crouch next to Louis as the omega began to shiver. "Harry, I'm cold," Louis whimpered. Harry pulled a blanket over Louis, though he knew Louis' fever was abnormally high, and Louis stopped shivering for the most part. Harry brushed his hand through Louis' hair, looking up when Mrs. Tomlinson came in. She was carrying some dry toast and a glass of water on a tray she placed on Louis' bedside table. Harry made to crawl back, but Mrs. Tomlinson told him to keep his place. She went around the bed and sat on Louis' other side. 

"I called the doctor, Lou," she said. "You're fever is too high. They want you to come in." Louis curled away from his mom, wiggling closer to Harry. He was mumbling something neither Harry or Mrs. Tomlinson could easily understand. Mrs. Tomlinson sighed, but wasn't offended by her son's actions. "Louis doesn't like the doctor's office," she told Harry. "You might have to tell him to go. He's outgrown any influence I ever had on him."

The idea of ordering Louis to do anything he didn't want to do was distasteful to Harry, but he understood the necessity of it now. He turned his attention from Louis' mother to Louis with his flushed cheeks and otherwise pale face. He was obviously sick. "Louis, we're going to go to the doctor." Louis' blue eyes opened slowly as Harry's words sank in. The omega nodded and began to shift under the blanket as he struggled to sit up. Harry placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Blanket still wrapped around him, Harry picked up Louis and began carrying him downstairs. Louis' mom followed, explaining to Charlotte as quickly as she could what was going on. Charlotte agreed to extend her stay and keep the house in one piece while Louis, Harry, and Mrs. Tomlinson went to the doctor. Johnny watched with big nervous eyes as the three adults left.

"Is Uncle Lou going to be alright?" Johnny asked his mom after the front door had closed.

Charlotte patted his head and smiled. "He's going to be just fine, Johnny. You're Uncle Lou is like...superman. Nothing can stop him." Johnny smiled at this and took another bite of waffle.

* * *

 

Louis cuddled close to Harry as they sat in the waiting room of the urgent care center the doctor had sent them to. Mrs. Tomlinson was talking to a nurse, trying to ascertain how much longer they were going to have to wait. She came back with a scowl on her face and sat in the seat next to Harry. "She can't give me a time or anything. What could they possibly be so busy with? No one is here!" 

"There are patients in the back, mom," Louis mumbled.

Mrs. Tomlinson sighed. "You're right, Lou. My poor baby."

At that moment a nurse came out and called for Louis. Harry picked him up and carried him over. The nurse smiled and led them down the room. "Are you his mate?" she asked.

"Not yet," Harry said. 

The nurse stopped short. "Then you can't...we only allow family to be with the patient."

Harry curled his arms around Louis and almost growled. Mrs. Tomlinson put her hand on Harry's arm. "Please, miss, just let it go. He's not going to leave my son alone." The nurse bit her lip, but relented when Harry made it clear he wasn't going to put Louis down. She took them to a room and instructed Harry to put Louis on a bed. Harry hovered until Louis opened his eyes and mumbled for Harry to behave himself. The alpha begrudgingly stepped back when the nurse had hooked Louis up to a couple of monitors and had given him some medicine to try and break the fever. The doctor walked in once Louis was hooked up.

"Hello, everyone," the doctor greeted. "What seems to be the problem?"

Mrs. Tomlinson met Harry's eyes and in the moments of contact, made sure he understood she would take care of this. "My son is running a high fever. He was just fine yesterday and then he woke up sick and burning up. It happened so fast."

The doctor check Louis' pulse, looked over some information the nurse had written down, then he stepped out of the room. Harry watched him anxiously as he consulted with another doctor. Then he returned and posed a question, "Has he been around any sick kids lately?" 

"I don't think so..." Mrs. Tomlinson murmured.

"He cuddled with Johnny yesterday. Charlotte said he was just getting over something. She said his fever had just broken."

"Do you know what he had?" Harry shook his head. The doctor hummed. "There's been a bug going around. It causes vomiting, body aches, fevers. The medicine she gave him should help bring down the fever. I can give him medicine for the aches and it should help with the vomiting, but no promises. That seems to be the bit we can't get rid of. Anything we've given for it before doesn't stay down. I'm sorry about that."

"This will help with the aches and the fever?" Mrs. Tomlinson asked.

The doctor nodded. "See, it's already dropped to 100. It should keep going down. If it spikes, bring him back as soon as possible."

Harry stayed with Louis in the room for a few more minutes while Mrs. Tomlinson settled a couple more things with the doctor. The nurse reappeared and unhooked Louis from the monitors. Harry took him in his arms and followed Mrs. Tomlinson back to the car. He sat in the back seat while Louis shivered against him. "Baby, baby, baby. What am I going to do with you?" Harry murmured.

"Stay with me?" Louis croaked.

Harry kissed the top of Louis' head. "Of course, baby. Of course."

 


	11. A One Track Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feeling warm and fuzzy thanks to you all!

Harry stared at the glass display case and then smiled apologetically at the customer waiting for him. "I'm sorry. What was it you wanted again?"

"A sugar cookie," the customer said with only a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Right, right. Sorry. Don't know where my head is today," Harry mumbled retrieving the cookie. That last bit was a lie; he knew exactly where his head was and it was not here in the bakery. His head was back in Louis' room with the his sick omega and trying to keep him warm (though his fever hadn't dropped below 101 for the last couple of days) and comfortable. He'd given his weekend shifts to Lila and spent all of his time with Louis. It was only on Louis' insistence that he get out today. Louis claimed he'd sleep the whole time and when he woke up, Harry would be right next to him so he'd never know he was gone.

"Harry, go back to Louis," Mrs. Pots said after the sugar cookie customer left.

"What? Why?"

"You asked that guy what he wanted five times."

Harry shuffled his feet and shrugged his shoulders. Mrs. Pots watched him with a fond smile and her hands on her hips. "Well, I guess I'm not really all here."

"You've got that right. Now go on. I can take care of the place by myself."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. He wasn't one to shirk his responsibilities.

"I took care of it just fine before you wandered in here all those years ago and I'll be just fine for a couple of days. I've got Lila coming in later anyway. Just stay with Louis until the baby is all better, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks Sherry." Harry was out the door and halfway to Louis' house before he realized he was sprinting and he'd probably pushed a couple of people out of his way. He slowed down to avoid looking like a maniac, but only so that he was walking at a rather fast clip. He found himself at the Tomlinson's front door in record time and he was up the stairs and in Louis' room after quick hellos and hugs. Louis was indeed asleep, and for the first time all day, Harry felt calm and relaxed for a moment as he looked at the boy curled up under the many blankets. Harry sat on the beanbag chair he'd sat in most of the weekend. His eyes took in all of Louis and noticed that his bare feet were sticking out of the end of the blanket. Harry pushed himself out of the bean bag to pull and tuck the blankets over Louis' feet. His boy had said his feet were the coldest part of his body and always asked for them to be covered. (A couple times his feet had been covered and he asked Harry to cover them.) 

"Are you going to miss yoga again?" a tired voice croaked.

Harry patted Louis' feet before he crouched next to him. The alpha brushed a few pieces of hair off the omega's forehead. "I'm not missing yoga. I'm just not going. It's not like school or anything."

"But you never miss it," Louis said beginning to shift under his blankets. "I don't want you to stay cooped up in here with me all day."

"Do you want me to go?"

"No," Louis admitted, "But I don't want you to feel like you have to stay here."

Harry leaned a little closer to Louis. "I don't quite believe that last bit," he whispered. "I think you're just saying that to be polite. I think you like that I refuse to leave your side. I think it makes you smile. I think it makes you happy beyond belief, even if you are a sick little kid."

"I am not a kid," Louis grumbled, but didn't deny what Harry had said. 

Harry smiled. "This is true, baby, but you are sick and I can't focus on anything else right now. Mrs. Pots basically kicked me out of the bakery today. I asked a guy five times what he wanted."

"What did he want?"

"A sugar cookie."

Louis giggled and reached out for Harry's hand. Harry wrapped Louis' smaller hand in both of his. "How are you feeling today baby?"

"The same. I had a nice nap, though, so that was good."

"I'm glad you got some good sleep."

"I hope you don't get sick, Harry."

"I'm an alpha. A little bug isn't going to be able to squash me." Louis smiled, though it was small and a little strained. "What do you need, baby?" Harry murmured.

"I hurt all over," Louis mumbled.

Harry turned to the pill bottles on the nightstand. "Body aches...body aches...Where's the bottle, baby?"

"I...uh..."

"He threw it over by his closet. Claimed he didn't want them anymore because they made him feel sick." Harry turned to Fizzy as she brought a tray of toast and water. "He's quite ornery when he's ill." She smiled at her brother and Harry before she bounced out of the room.

"Louis," Harry scolded.

Louis glanced down at his knees that were pulled up to his chest. "I didn't want to feel sicker than I already am."

Harry retrieved the pills and handed Louis two of them with his glass of water. "Take these and eat your toast." Harry cringed at the order. Louis reached for the pills, but Harry pulled them away at the last second. Louis' confusion was evident, but Harry just put the pills back and handed Louis the toast. "I'm sorry, Lou. You don't have to take the pills if they make you feel bad." Harry reached out and ran a hand through Louis' hair. "I promise, no more ordering you around. I will coax and I will bribe and I will ask, but I will not order, okay?"

Louis nodded, simultaneously answering and rubbing into Harry's palm. "Okay."

Harry kept petting his head. "Remember yesterday when you asked me if I would always be working at Mrs. Pots' bakery?" Louis nodded, eyes slipping closed as Harry continued running his fingers through his hair. "Well, you fell asleep just as I was getting into my story. Remember where we were?"

"You were talking about how your uncle owned a place and then in second grade you had to draw a picture."

"Well, I've known since second grade that I wanted to own my own restaurant, and I've almost been saving money for just as long. I used to have lemonade stands and when people asked me what I was going to use the money for, I told them I was going to open my own restaurant. They all gave me this patronizing little smile like I made a joke they fully understood but I didn't. Anyway, my uncle--the one with the restaurant--he passed away and left me a large bit of money. I have my eyes set on this place that's been for sale for a while now. It's just down the block from my place. I've saved up enough money for it too...It's scary...I know I have all that I need to start it, but I just can't seem to do anything."

"Why not?" Louis croaked.

"I don't know. I'm just scared it won't work out, and then what will I do?"

"You should buy that place. Then you can start and you'll see that it'll work out and then you'll never have to worry again."

"But you can't be sure I'll succeed."

"You'll never succeed if you don't try."

Harry looked at Louis with a fond smile. "You're right, baby."

"Of course I am. It's one of my many talents."

The two of them laughed together and then Harry leaned close to him and kissed his forehead. "What are some of your other talents?"

Louis bit his lip as he thought. "I've heard I'm a pretty good lay."

Harry's grip in Louis' hair tightened. "Who told you that?" Harry growled.

Louis burst into a fit of giggles. "A bit possessive are we?"

Harry sent him an annoyed glare as his grip relaxed. "I'm going to choose to forget that last little bit of time together."

"But--"

Harry silenced Louis with a quick kiss. "I'm going to be the best lay you're ever going to have anyway."

 


	12. Think of the Possibilities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the awesome amounts of support! This chapter is in celebration of many things, but the most important would be that I am done with calculus for the rest my life!!!!!!!!!!

The first thing Louis registered when sleep had abandoned him in his bed was that he was too warm. The second thing he registered was there was some obnoxious singing downstairs. The third thing he registered was that he was alone in his room. Louis sat up with a huff throwing the five blankets he had on him on the floor. He grumbled around his room as he changed out of the sticky clothes he found himself in. He didn't know where Harry was. Maybe he was in the kitchen with Louis' mom, but he just wished he'd woken up with Harry next to him. The alpha hadn't left his side for the week he was sick. Louis determined he'd need a nice, long, hot shower after he went downstairs to see what was going on downstairs after a quick glance in his mirror. Louis opened his bedroom door and jogged downstairs. His mouth watered as his nose picked up on the delicious smell of food--real food, not just toast--coming from the kitchen. Louis just stood in the kitchen doorway enjoying the smell for a little bit.

"Louis! You're up!"

Louis opened his eyes and smiled at his mother who was standing at the door. "Yeah. I'm feeling 100% better."

"Really?" She left the pot of whatever it was she was cooking and came up to him. She wiped her hands on her apron before she felt his forehead. "You don't have a fever that's for sure. It must have finally broken all the way overnight. Harry will be so happy. I'm happy too, but that boy hasn't left this house since you fell ill. I like him a lot Louis. He's a great kid."

"Where is Harry? He isn't upstairs and he doesn't seem to be down here."

"He told me that he was going out today, but he'd be back. He said he left you a note." Mrs. Tomlinson seemed concerned Louis hadn't gotten the note, but Louis was tripping up the stairs on his way back to his room to find the note. It wasn't hard to find when he was looking for it. Harry had left it on a paper towel under his juice glass on a tray from last night's dinner. 

_Morning (or afternoon depending on when you read this) baby,_

_I've got something very important planned for today. I'll tell you all about it tonight, or if you're feeling better, I can show you. I hope you're feeling better today. You've been sick too long, baby. See you tonight!_

_Love you bunches,_

_Harry XOXOX_

Louis clutched the note to his chest and sank onto the beanbag Harry had occupied for the last week. This whole relationship had been sort of a whirlwind, but Louis couldn't find anything wrong with that. He was happier than he ever had been in his life and he never wanted to let Harry go. He was more than curious what Harry's important plans were and why he had to go away, but he was coming back and Louis could interrogate him about it later. With a dopey smile plastered on his face, Louis danced (as well as he could) down the stairs and back to the kitchen. His mom looked up with an amused smile on her face. "I'm guessing you found the note, then?"

"You'd be right, mama," Louis said kissing her cheek. "Where are the girls?"

"They're outside. I'm pretty sure the twins think you're dead so it'd be good for them to see you walking around."

Louis chuckled as he moved towards the back sliding door that led out to their backyard. His three sisters looked up from their game and barreled towards him calling his name. "You're not dead!" one of the twins shouted.

"I was never dead, hun. Just sick." He sat down in the grass with them and they filled him in on all the news he'd missed while he felt like he was dying. Then there was a hand in his hair and lips by his ear saying, "I want to have kids with you." Louis twisted around and kissed Harry properly for the first time in days. "I missed you," he murmured to Harry after they'd finished kissing.

"Missed you too, baby. How are you feeling?"

"Good, but I need to shower."

Harry leaned in a gave Louis a good sniff. He wrinkled his face comically. "I agree with you."

Louis stuck his tongue out before his sisters commanded his attention again. They dragged the two boys into their game of duck duck goose (how they were playing with only three people and having any fun was beyond Louis). Mrs. Tomlinson called the girls in for dinner. "Are we not invited?" Louis asked.

"No. You need to shower and I believe Harry has plans for you tonight," Mrs. Tomlinson said before disappearing into the house.

"You've got plans?" Louis asked turning to Harry.

Harry nodded, his curly hair flopping in his face. "Yep." He popped the "p" obnoxiously as he followed Louis inside. 

* * *

Harry opened the door for Louis and handed him one of his head scarves. "Put this around your eyes."

"What happened to no orders?" Louis teased.

"Put this around your eyes, please," Harry amended. 

Louis rolled his eyes as Harry closed his door and tied the scarf around his eyes. There was something thrilling about not being able to see anything.

"Can you see anything?" Harry asked.

"Nope," Louis said. 

"Good." Harry drove off and sang loudly along with the radio making it impossible for Louis to ask him a million questions about where he was going. (The blindfold was becoming less and less cool as they drove on.) "We're almost there," Harry said. "You have to keep it on for just a little bit longer," he added patting Louis' knee like he could sense the omega's growing sense of irritation with the blindfold. True to his word, it wasn't much longer before they pulled off the road and parked. "Stay right there and keep the blindfold on." Louis heard Harry get out and whined a bit. He liked being blindfold with Harry next to him; he did not like being blindfolded and left alone in a car in an unknown location. 

Louis wasn't alone for long because Harry was opening his door and helping him out within moments. Harry guided him forward and then untied the blindfold placing the fabric in his back pocket. Louis blinked a couple of times to get used to the dusky light. They were in the parking lot of the building that Harry wanted to put his restaurant in. Nothing looked particularly different, except for the word SOLD stamped onto the For Sale sign. Louis began to say, "Oh, Harry..." because he thought that someone else had bought it, but when Harry slipped an envelope into his hand and he read the papers inside his tone of concern turned to, "Oh Harry!" Louis threw his arms around Harry's neck and hugged him. The two of them stood like that in the parking lot laughing and holding each other tight. "I can't believe you bought it! Is this where you were earlier today?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. After talking about it with you, I called up the seller. We met here and made the deal within an hour. I'll keep working with Mrs. Pots until we're ready to open, but then I'll try to make this place my permanent job."

"Can we go inside?" Louis asked. He was bouncing from foot to foot as ideas flooded him about what to do with the place. And then something Harry had said hit him. "Wait...you said until 'we're' ready to open."

"Yeah. I want you to help me run the place," Harry said as if it was one of the most obvious things in the world. 

"Really?"

"Of course, baby. Why wouldn't I?" This prompted another shriek of excitement from Louis and another tight hug. "Let's go in, shall we?" Harry pulled Louis to the front door and produced a shiny new key from his pocket. "I got the electricity to work today too," Harry said as he flipped the light switch on. 

The place was barren, and obviously a bit vandalized, but Louis was immediately as in love with it as Harry was. "Oh my..." he sighed. "Think of all the possibilities...we could--well we'll have to get that paint off the walls--but we could leave the bricks exposed like they are and get some new window panes and put tables in this area and--I don't know exactly what you want me to do--but we could have a little like hostess thing here and..." Louis kept talking a mile a minute about what they could do with the place. Harry just watched him from where he was leaning against one of the walls with a more than amused smile on his face. It was all sounding wonderful (Harry could see it all now), but there was more that he wanted to show him so he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards Louis. The talking boy jumped a bit when Harry wrapped his arms around his waist since he'd had his back to Harry as he was talking about the exposed brick wall again, but he relaxed and stopped talking as Harry peppered his face with kisses. "I've been rambling about your restaurant haven't I?" Louis mumbled when Harry gave him a chance to talk.

Harry gave him one more peck before saying, "Just a tad, but it all sounds wonderful baby. Much better than anything I could ever come up with and it's  _our_ restaurant remember?" Louis nodded, done talking for a bit. "I've got something else to show you." Harry led Louis towards the back. "Apparently this place used to be a restaurant when it was open too, or at least had a kitchen on the first floor, so we don't have to worry about creating one. It could do with some updates and renovations, but I think it will be wonderful and one of my favorite places to be." Harry pushed through a swinging door and Louis gasped. 

As cliched as it was (and Louis was beginning to realize that cliche was just how Harry operated), Harry had set up a small table with a candle and two plates with dinner waiting for them. It was a cold dish Louis had seen him working on before he'd been confined to his bed and Harry hadn't let him try it at all. "I think I love you," Louis said turning to face Harry.

"You think you love me?" Harry asked.

Louis threw his arms around Harry's neck and kissed him hard on the lips. Pulling back, Louis murmured. "No. I definitely know I love you."

Harry smiled, bringing his lips to Louis' again and walking then back so that Louis' back pushed against the edge of one of the counters. As the cool metal reached his skin through his shirt, Louis got bold and nipped at Harry's bottom lip asking him to open up. With a pleased groan, Harry opened his mouth letting Louis' slip inside and explore before he took back control of the kiss. Louis' hands curled into Harry's shirt as he pulled the alpha closer. Harry's scent was surrounding him, drowning him and causing his body to react. He could feel a certain, unmistakable wetness grow between his legs as they continued to kiss. When Harry broke away and left Louis panting for air, the omega pushed his hips wantonly against the alphas whimpering as he did so. "Please, Harry," he begged with only a slight idea of what he was asking for. 

"Really, baby? Here?"

Louis nodded wildly, his fingers already dragging the hem of Harry's shirt up. The alpha pulled his shirt off. This was not the first time Louis had seen Harry without a shirt on. They'd traded places in the shower (Harry was adamant they not share a shower yet) plenty of times, but this may as well have been the first time Louis was seeing him without a shirt. His fingers pressed into the strong muscles revealed and he leaned forward to press his lips against the tattoos. "Make it fair," Harry murmured before he pulled Louis' shirt off too. Harry's big hand drifted over the exposed skin causing Louis to shiver and his skin to be covered in goosebumps. Harry's hand floated lower and lower until it pressed into the bulge in the front of Louis' pants. Louis shuddered at the touch and whined when the contact was taken away. Harry stepped back to admire Louis for a moment, but it was long enough that Louis was wiggling out of his pants and turning so his back was to Harry. 

"Harry," Louis whined. 

Harry pressed himself against Louis's back and breathed him in. "Fuck," Harry sighed. Louis pushed back against Harry, and Harry slid a hand down his back and under the band of his boxers. Louis mewled at the touch, pressing into it greedily. "Want me to take you right here, baby?" Louis nodded earning him a harsh tug of the hair from Harry. "Use your words, baby."

"Yes, Harry, yes!" Louis gasped.

Harry smiled into Louis' neck and slid his other hand from Louis' hair to his bum next to his other hand. Louis panted, gripping the edge of the counter as his body felt like it was slowly burning away. Suddenly Harry dropped to his knees, pulling Louis' boxers down leaving the omega completely exposed. Harry's finger dragged through some of Louis' wetness and sucked it off, making noises that drove Louis crazy. "God, baby, you taste so good." Louis whined, growing more desperate as the sounds of Harry taking off his pants reached his ears. Then he was feeling a naked Harry pressed against him and his eyes rolled back in his head. "Ready for me baby?"

"Yeah," Louis moaned. 

Harry slipped one finger (Louis wanted to kill him when it wasn't his cock) inside and began to pressed and knead Louis. The omega's fingers began to hurt as his grip on the counter tightened when Harry slipped a second finger in. Harry grinned, smug in his Get-Louis-Utterly-Wrecked accomplishments so far. By the time he added a third finger, Louis was fucking himself on Harry's long fingers. Just as Louis was moving his hips back, Harry pulled his fingers away causing Louis to cry out. Harry stared at his wet fingers and then his eyes darted to Louis' quivering form, particularly his shoulder. Harry rubbed the wetness from his fingers into the skin over Louis' left shoulder. It took the other boy a moment to realize what was going on, but the approving hum in his throat thrilled Harry as he lined his cock up with Louis' entrance. "Going to rock your world, baby," Harry grunted as he slid into Louis in one go.

Louis' eyes and mouth opened wide while the rest of his body went slack totally overwhelmed by Harry. Harry wrapped an arm around Louis' waist to hold him up and used his other to push them away from the counter a little so the edge didn't dig into Louis' stomach. As Harry continued to pound into him, Louis let out little moans, grunts, and  _yes, yes, yes_! All of his noises seemed to draw the animal out of Harry and Louis loved it. He could only focus on the arm wrapped around his waist and the powerful muscle pumping into him. "Feeling good baby? Let me hear you, baby. Don't keep it in," Harry said in Louis' ear.

Louis' eyes squeezed shut as his body went rigid before he climaxed harder than he ever remembered. "Knot me," he begged as his body seemed to whirl out of his control. Harry was too far gone to fully think through the consequences of his actions and he just couldn't say no to Louis. With a couple final, hard thrusts, Harry pushed his knot into Louis bringing Louis' second orgasm out of him. Louis hummed as he shifted a bit against the knot inside of him loving the feeling of being completely full of Harry. He began giggling as his mind fell back to reality and he fully realized the position he and Harry were in. "Maybe this wasn't my best idea, boo." 

Harry chuckled along with his boy. "Maybe not." Carefully, at an almost snail's pace, Harry managed to maneuver the two of them to one of the chairs by the table. The act of sitting shifted Louis just so and an obscene moan passed his lips as his head fell back on Harry's shoulder. 

"Move in with me," Harry said suddenly.

"Yes," Louis replied with no hesitation.

Harry kissed the top of Louis' head and reached for the fork next to the plate of food. He gathered a forkful, ate it, and then got one for Louis. "What do you think?" he asked.

"It's good."

"It's just good?"

Louis pecked his cheek. "It's the most wonderful, life-altering food I've ever had."

 


	13. Our Baby Needs a Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Hope you've had fun since last I've updated! Keep the love coming, please! It makes me so happy to hear from you all!

There were still some boxes left to be unpacked, but the apartment already felt like home. Pairs of shoes were piled haphazardly from the door through the living room. The worn couch had a couple of new pillows sitting on it among the jackets and a couple of shirts. The kitchen table was covered in papers and pictures and take-out containers. The kitchen was probably the only pristine place in the place, but even so, there were dirty dishes waiting for attention in the sink. Discarded items (mostly clothes) lined the hallway leading further into the apartment and into the bedroom where two boys lay tangled together on the bed. The smaller of the two began to kiss the other's chest, slowly rousing the other from his doze. The bigger of the two chuckled as he wrapped his arms tightly around the other. 

"You want to know something?" Louis murmured as he pulled his lips away from Harry's chest.

"Hmm?" Harry hummed.

"You were really great with Charlotte's kids."

"So were you." Harry began running his hands through Louis' hair as he remembered watching Louis cuddle with Johnny. "It was so great watching you cuddle with Johnny. I wanted to take you upstairs and knock you up so badly."

A little shiver went through Louis' body at the words. "I wouldn't have protested."

Harry laughed a little harder at that. "I think your mom might have."

"Johnny would have cared a little more than she would."

"I wasn't about to come between the two of you anyway."

Louis rested his head on Harry's chest. "I want lots of kids with you Harry."

"I want lots of kids with you too, baby."

Louis shifted himself so that he and Harry were looking into each other's eyes. Harry cupped one of his cheeks and lifted himself up so that he could kiss him sweetly. Louis' toes curled from the gentle caress of their lips. "I want so many kids we'll have to move to a big house out in the country," Louis murmured.

"We'll be able to have our own football team then, and they can play in our big back yard and I'll have to be the bad guy who tells them not to kick the ball into my garden a thousand and one times."

Louis giggled at the picture Harry painted. "I can be the coach and I'll be sure one of the goals is set up just next to the garden so you don't miss the chance to play the bad guy."

"Would you really?"

Louis nodded. "Most definitely. And I know exactly how I'd apologize."

Harry's eyes gleamed at that. "Do you now?" Again Louis nodded. "Show me how you would apologize, baby." 

Louis moved so that he was straddling Harry's waist. "It would start a little something like this..."

* * *

Harry raised his hand and knocked on the door to Zayn's apartment. Louis had an arm around his waist and his hand tightly clutching the plate of cookies Harry had baked for Zayn. It only took a few moments before Harry's neighbor opened the door. He had paint smeared over the shirt and sweatpants he was wearing as well as a couple of spots and smears on his face. He smiled at the couple out in the hall and invited them in. "Hey Harry," he greeted with a firm handshake shared between them. Then he turned his attention to Louis. "You must be Louis. I'm Zayn. I was scared you weren't real and Harry was just trying to make me jealous."

"I'm definitely real," Louis said. "Harry made you cookies." Zayn took the plate from him with a smile and offered them seats on his couch after he asked if they wanted anything to drink.

"So what's up?" Zayn asked as he plopped into an armchair next to his couch.

"Well, we're opening a restaurant together and were wondering if you'd be willing to do some art for us," Harry explained.

"Of course. I'd be happy to do it," Zayn said. "You're finally realizing your dream?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but I wouldn't have gotten there without this kid." He nudged Louis affectionately causing the omega to roll his eyes and snort, "Oh, please." 

"He's good for you. A little spice for all your sugar," Zayn commented. "How many pieces will you want?"

"Five," Louis answered. "Is that too much?"

"Nope. When do you need them by?"

Louis and Harry looked at each other. The date of the opening wasn't sure yet. They'd thought it'd be in two or three months, but the repairs and renovations were talking longer than anticipated. "Tentatively December," Harry finally said. "We don't need anything major. Just a couple things that would be appropriate in a restaurant. Nothing needs to be, you know, world-changing or life-altering."

"I can do that," Zayn assured them. He anticipated the next question the two of them were going to ask so he answered before the words were out of their mouth. "You're not going to pay me. I make enough with the gallery. Mrs. Stanford spoils me no matter how much I protest. She and her mate have more money than they know what to do with." Harry and Louis protested, but Zayn was adamant they keep their money and other offers. Finally they relented, but agreed silently with each other that they'd repay Zayn sometime in the future. "So what's the name of this place going to be?" Zayn asked when the money issue had been settled.

Louis looked at Harry who looked back at Louis. "We don't have one yet," Harry replied sheepishly.

Zayn looked at the two of them as if they'd suddenly grown three heads and sprouted antennas from their eyebrows. "You don't have a name yet? December isn't  _that_ far away."

"Maybe once we see it all put together it'll come to us," Louis said.

"You can't advertise something without a name. It's like having a baby and not knowing its name before it comes out. Why haven't you thought of something before?" The question was directed to Harry.

Harry shrugged. "Nothing ever seemed to fit the idea."

"Nothing came to us while we were planning things either," Louis said.

Zayn's head dropped onto the back of the armchair. "You two are hopeless. Did either of you have any great nicknames or anything when you were younger? Any memorable pet names? An interesting favorite of something? We're naming this thing right now."

"It's not a thing!" Louis insisted. "It's our baby!" Louis gasped and clutched Harry's thigh. "Oh my God, Harry! We were going to bring our baby into the world nameless! We're horrible parents!"

"We're going to fix it baby, no worries," Harry said once his and Zayn's chuckles had died down after Louis' dramatic declaration. "I don't have anything really interesting. I was called Haz or H if I wasn't called Harry."

"Boring life, man," Zayn mused.

"You have no idea," Harry mumbled.

"My sisters always called me Boo Bear when Charlotte was home. Other people called me Lou or Tommo."

Harry perked up at the last name. "Tommo?"

Zayn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That's a definite possibility."

" _Tommo's,_ " Harry whispered. Louis let the name ring in his ears for a moment and nodded with a grin. " _Tommo's_ ," Harry repeated louder. "It's perfect."

"Our baby's name is  _Tommo's_ ," Louis sighed happily. "This is going to be brilliant."

 


	14. I'm Hot, Harry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! So happy everyone is liking this, and I absolutely hate being the bearer of bad news, but this story is coming to the end. :( Anything anyone wants to see before it's over? I'll try to see what I can do to get it in before the end!
> 
> Love you all! You make me happy!

Louis rolled out of bed with a tired groan. He stumbled around the dimly lit room pulling on semi-clean clothes. He had a fight with his t-shirt, but it was eventually pulled over his head before he went out to the kitchen. What did he want..."What's this?" Louis murmured to himself as he picked up a recipe that Harry must have set out last night before they went to bed. It sounded really good. Louis hoped that Harry was planning on making it soon. Perhaps, if he asked nicely, Harry would make it today. Finished assessing the recipe, Louis turned in the kitchen trying to remember what exactly he'd come down here for. He shuffled over to the fridge and pulled it open. His eyes registered that there was indeed food inside; however, there may as well have been nothing in there. Why was he even looking in here? He became vaguely aware that Harry was awake, but he didn't really care all that much at the moment. He really wanted to remember why he'd opened the fridge in the first place.

Harry's high note fell short and stopped when he got to the kitchen. Louis was standing in front of an open fridge with his hands on his hips. He was just standing there staring straight ahead. "Why are you staring at the fridge?"

"Well I was trying to figure out what I wanted to eat 'cause I was hungry, but I don't really want anything, except whatever this is." Louis turned from the fridge, leaving the door open, and pointing at the recipe. 

"I was planning on making it for breakfast today. Did you want something to tide you over? I got some of that yogurt you mentioned the other day." Harry stepped to the fridge and handed Louis a yogurt before he closed the door. "Baby, did you mean to put your shirt on inside out?"

Louis furrowed his brows as he licked the yogurt off the lid of the cup. "What are you talking about? This is just the way the shirt looks." 

Louis turned to throw the lid away just as Harry asked, "So the tag is just supposed to hang on the back of the shirt?" Harry tugged on the white tag to make his point. 

"Apparently so," Louis muttered swallowing a spoonful of yogurt.

"You get enough sleep last night?"

Louis just shrugged as he made his way to the couch. He plopped down and flipped through until he found a channel that was playing classic cartoons. He laughed so hard he cried as Tom chased Jerry around the house with a lead pipe. Harry smiled at the back of Louis' head. He wasn't normally so flighty or forgetful, but Harry just attributed it to lack of sleep. "You want to help me, Lou?" Harry called. "There's Nutella." If there was something Harry ever had to be jealous of, it would be Nutella. Louis was obsessed with the chocolate hazelnut spread. On more than one occasion, Harry had caught him just eating a spoonful of the stuff. Louis hopped off the couch and was by Harry's side faster than the alpha could blink. 

"Why didn't I notice that before?" Louis sighed as Harry pushed the container of Nutella towards him. Louis fumbled with the lid, but managed to get it off and a finger in the spread before Harry could step in. 

"Louis! Don't stick your finger in there. Other people use that."

Louis just held Harry's eyes as he sucked the chocolate off his finger. Harry swallowed audibly. Louis hummed around his finger, closing his eyes in bliss. "Harry," he moaned as his drew his now shiny finger from his mouth. "Harry, I'm hot. I'm hot, Harry." Louis didn't open his eyes as he began to pull and tug at the shirt he was wearing. Harry dropped the spoon he'd been stirring with on the counter and helped Louis pull his shirt off. When the alpha's fingers accidentally brushed the omega's skin, Louis whined and pushed forward for more contact. "Harry, more."

Harry's nostril's flared as a strong wave of Louis' scent washed over him. "Oh, baby. You're going into heat." It was more of a statement than a question, but Louis was nodding his head wildly, his small hands pulling at Harry's shirt then switching to tearing at his sweat pants. Finally the cotton bottoms were around his ankle allowing some cool air to swirl around his body, but it only helped for a little while. Louis slumped against the counter, one arm acting as his pillow and the other reaching behind him and rubbing against his entrance. He was too wet yet, but he could feel himself staring to soak through his boxers. 

"Can you help me now Harry?" Louis croaked. 

Harry's eyes met one of Louis'. "What?" His mind was not functioning at maximum capacity as he watched Louis rub himself.

Louis squeezed his eyes shut as his body began to ache with need. "I...you told me last time that I had to help myself until you could help me. I want to know if you can help me now? I want you to help me Harry. Please, please don't make me use my toys. I don't like them, Harry. Please don't make me!" Louis was practically sobbing at the end of his little speech. "Don't make me use them, a-a-alpha, please!"

Harry's attention snagged on Louis calling him 'alpha'. It was an old-fashioned thing. A long time ago, people referred to each other as 'alpha', 'beta', or 'omega' usually as a sign of respect, though it could be a reminder of a lower class' position. It wasn't done today, people preferring names accompanied by 'mister' or 'missus'. Being called 'alpha' was a huge turn-on, one Harry hadn't known he had, but he'd want to talk to Louis about it later. For now though, he had two bleary blue eyes looking to him for an answer and he needed to give one. "You won't have to use your toys, baby. I'm here for you. I'll take care of you."

Louis grinned, but then grimaced when he pulled his fingers away from himself so Harry was free to do whatever he wanted. Harry ran a hand through Louis' hair before rubbing it down his back in slow circles. Louis hummed as his body got some relief from Harry's touch, but when Harry did nothing more than touch and rub, Louis became frustrated. "Alpha, please." 

"Shh, baby. Going to take you to bed so we can do this properly. Going to take care of you." Harry picked Louis up, cradling his omega against his chest as he carried him to their room. Louis tried his best to be good for Harry, but he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer it took to get to the bedroom. He was squirming by the time Harry was laying him down on the bed. "I've got you, baby. I'm right here. Use your fingers for just a bit." Louis didn't moan, or sigh, or seem relieved as he slipped his fingers under his wet boxers, but he was squirming a little less. Harry quickly stripped out of his clothes and hovered over Louis. His omega's eyes were glazed over and his lips were red from where he'd bitten them. Harry rubbed a thumb over his flushed cheeks and heaving chest. "Okay, okay. Ready for me, baby?" Harry asked as he pulled Louis' ruined boxers off of Louis. 

"Yes, alpha. Please, please, please." Louis began pulling at his hair starting to feel like his mind was breaking into a million tiny pieces that only his alpha could put back together. 

Harry pulled Louis' legs apart. His thighs were sticky with his body's self-lubrication. Harry breathed in the heady scent, his eyes falling shut as he tried to control the urge to take Louis in the most rough, primal way he ever could. He was going to help Louis, but he wasn't going to hurt him even accidentally. Harry rolled Louis over, his hands sliding down Louis' sides and tops of his thighs. Louis was panting already, quivering and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. He was absolutely gorgeous. Harry bent so his chest was against Louis' back and kissed him as he pushed inside. Louis bit his lip so hard he drew blood. "Don't hold anything back from me, baby. Let me hear you. Give me everything you've got." Louis cried out, practically screaming, as his first orgasm tore through him. Harry began thrusting after Louis's climax had started to wane. With each thrust, Louis let out a moan, grunt, or high pitched whine. Each little noise drove Harry a little closer to his primal instincts. Louis fell forward as his arms gave out. Harry's movements caused Louis' cock to rub against his stomach at the angle he was bent and the friction drew another orgasm out of the omega. Harry watched in awe as Louis' body convulsed and his head thrashed on the pillows in the throes of his orgasm. "So pretty, baby. You're such a good boy. Doing so well taking your alpha's cock." 

Half of Louis' face was obscured, pressed into the pillows, but Harry could see the pleased smile on Louis' lips as he registered what Harry had said. 

"Going to knot you, baby. Going to fill you up and get you pregnant. Can't wait to see your round belly. Can't wait to see you carrying my kid." His words had a desirable effect on Louis, the omega nodding and whimpering, but his words also drew him to his edge. He pushed his knot into Louis with a cry of pure ecstasy. Louis shouted out as he climaxed a third time. Harry lost his hearing as his body pumped semen into Louis, but when his ears cleared of their pleasure induced ringing, he realized Louis was mumbling something as his hips kept rocking gently against Harry's knot. Harry stilled Louis' hips with a firm, gentle grip on them and leaned over so he could properly hear whatever Louis was saying. His eyes widened in shock when he realized Louis was repeating  _Thank you, alpha, thank you_ over and over again. He could feel Louis still trying to rock back on him, so he let him rock until Louis climaxed for the fourth time, his body jerking, but nothing coming out. "Baby, look at me," Harry whispered. Glazed, far away blue eyes met Harry. Louis was far away at the moment, not fully aware of what was going on, but his hips had stilled and the longer he looked at Harry the larger his smile became. 

Harry shifted them so that he was resting against the pillows and Louis was in his lap with his head on Harry's shoulder. He was still thanking Harry so the alpha silenced him with a lingering kiss. "No need to thank me, baby. Just taking care of you. No need to thank me." Louis nodded as his eyes slipped closed. Harry kissed his forehead and murmured, "Rest a bit baby. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Alpha?"

"Yeah, baby?" It was strange how comfortable Harry was with so formal of a title.

"I...um...please don't..." Louis shifted, slipping closer and closer to sleep. "Don't leave me empty, please. I don't like it."

"Of course baby. Now rest." Louis pressed a kiss to Harry's throat before sighing as he slipped into a light sleep. Harry wasn't sure what--well he knew what Louis meant when he told him not to leave him empty, but it wasn't the most healthy or comfortable thing for him to remain physically inside Louis this whole time. "How to keep you full, baby," Harry murmured. He reached under the bed searching for Louis' toy box. He'd told him to put it under his side, but Louis had shaken his head and told him if anyone was going to use them, it'd be Harry. If Louis didn't like feeling empty during his heat, then he must have had a way to take care of it by himself. Harry, finding the box, pulled it out and searched blindly, making a lot of noise, but Louis has been asleep for long enough that Harry isn't worried about waking him up. His hand finally found what he was looking for: a simple black butt plug that would keep Louis full until he needed Harry again. Harry's not had gone down, so he shifted Louis onto his side and fumbled with the plug causing little lines of discomfort to cloud Louis' brow for a few moments, but once it was in place, the lines cleared and Louis sighed happily in his sleep. 

* * *

It was after the second round and when Louis was slumped against Harry's chest that Harry decided to ask Louis about the whole calling-him-alpha thing. "Louis, baby, can you look at me?" Louis sat up so they were eye level. "How are you feeling?"

Louis hummed and rocked his hips slightly against the knot currently stretching him out. "Really good, Harry."

Hearing his name made Harry breathe a little easier. He had a theory about the name thing and he needed Louis mostly in his right mind to talk about it. "You know you've been calling me alpha during all of this right?"

Louis blinked at him and then he was blushing. "Have I?"

"Yeah, and you haven't done it before. I was just wondering why. It doesn't bother me or anything. It's sort of hot, really." Harry's confession had him blushing too.

"Lila told me I did that one time. She stayed at my place during one of my heats when my mom and my sisters were on a vacation. Said I screamed it at some points. You sure it doesn't bother you?"

Harry began rubbing Louis' back. "I'm quite sure, baby. Any ideas why it's just popping up now?"

"I think it just happens during my heat. I think I just get really submissive and it just seems to be the right thing."

"Same thing I was thinking." Harry kept rubbing Louis' back lulling the omega into a half-sleep. "Just wanted to talk about it. It's not a big deal." Louis nodded. He shifted again, whimpering as the knot stretched him a little too wide. With his omega's head on his shoulder, Harry closed his own eyes and was starting to drift off when he felt Louis move again. "You comfortable?" he murmured.

"Yeah, yeah, but..." Harry opened his eyes as Louis trailed off. Louis was sitting up. "I want you to mark me." Harry blinked at Louis who quickly tacked on a quiet "please."

"Really?" So many thoughts were whirling around Harry's head, but the one that was most prominent was the need to do just what Louis asked. 

Louis nodded. "I know we never really talked about it before, but I want you to be my mate." As Louis talked he was rocking his hips on the knot. Harry wanted to mate with Louis, nothing would please him more, the request was just a shock because, like Louis had said, they hadn't talked about it before. But as the omega moved, both of their cocks became hard and it wasn't long before Louis was climaxing again. His head fell back, baring his throat to the alpha who followed him off of the cliff of orgasm. His arms pulled Louis' chest against his and his teeth sank into Louis' throat. Their bodies and souls whirled together as they floated back to Earth. Harry pulled his teeth our slowly, dragging his tongue over Louis' broken skin.

"Thank you, alpha," Louis breathed, his eyes distant and glazed over.

"You're welcome, baby. You're so very welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I've thought about this, I realize this might have just become one of my favorite chapters I've ever written.


	15. Opening Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second to last chapter! I'm so sad :( but sort of excited as it comes to a close :) I'm most sad though. These two have been so cute! 
> 
> As always, please let me know what you think of the story!

December came faster than Harry or Louis ever thought it would. The first six days of December flew by in a haze of last minute surprises, late night fixes, and lots of kissing. Day seven of December started like any other. Harry woke up with Louis plastered to his side which was how he'd woken up every day since they'd mated and it wasn't a habit he was going to break any time soon. He loved having Louis right by his side every minute of every day. Harry shifted off the bed and went out to the kitchen to make something for breakfast. He needed routine today because today was the day. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to get his nerves under control. It was going to be a long (Harry glanced at the clock) twelve hours.

"What are you making?" a sleepy voice mumbled from the hallway.

"Waffles."

Louis shuffled over to Harry and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Do we have whipped cream and strawberries?"

"In the fridge."

Louis opened the door and pulled out the two items he mentioned. Harry lifted the lid of the waffle maker and placed the four pieces on a plate that he slid to Louis. "Can I have a spoon?" Louis asked after he'd stared at the open whipped cream container. Harry handed one to him and watched the omega spoon a generous amount of cream on each of the four squares. Each waffle was then topped with a slice of strawberry before being lifted by small hands and bitten with white teeth. Harry watched as whipped cream collected in the corners of Louis' mouth. He was so fascinated by Louis eating that he didn't realize his waffle was ready.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Louis asked around a mouthful of waffle.

"Hmm? Yeah, yeah." Harry brought himself out of his happy reverie and put his waffle on his plate, using syrup and butter instead of whipped cream and strawberries. 

"Are you excited about tonight?" Louis asked.

Harry chewed slowly before swallowing. "I guess that's one way of putting it."

Louis reached across the counter and placed his hand on Harry's forearm. Harry covered Louis' smaller hand with his own and gave the boy a smile. "I'm nervous too," Louis mumbled.

"You? Why are you nervous?"

"Well...because..." Louis waved his free hand in the air as he tried to explain why he was nervous. "It's important to you and it's ours and I want everything to go well so I'm nervous too."

Harry squeezed Louis' hand. "We'll just have to distract each other."

Louis pulled his hand away and sat up a bit in his seat. Harry took another bite of waffle. Louis frowned and slammed his hand down on the counter. "Oh no!" he gasped.

"What? What is it?" Harry asked, concern covering his nerves.

"I don't know what to wear tonight!"

"I don't care. Wear whatever you want." Louis groaned and let his head bang against the counter as Harry rinsed the plates under some warm water. "Careful baby. I've heard that hitting your head kills brain cells and those don't grow back."

"All the more reason you should tell me what to wear." Louis huffed as he slid off the stool. "I could put my remaining brains to something worthwhile."

* * *

 "Welcome to  _Tommo's_!"  Louis greeted loudly as Amanda and Zayn walked through the door. He grabbed two menus and bounced as he led them to their table. 

"Zayn, the paintings look wonderful!" Amanda gushed.

"Thanks," Zayn said rubbing the back of his neck and glancing at the floor.

Louis smiled as they took their seats. "Can I start you off with something to drink?" Louis asked.

"I'd like a water, please," Amanda said.

"I'll just have a beer, Lou," Zayn said. "You look great tonight, by the way."

"Thanks," Louis said before he traipsed away to get their drinks. He stopped by his mom's table after dropping off Zayn and Amanda's drinks and picking up their orders. Mrs. Pots told him to tell Harry how wonderful the chicken was. Louis passed the information along, and when there was a lull, Harry came out and thanked Mrs. Pots for her compliment. Harry scurried back to the kitchen when a local critic showed up. Louis quickly sat the lady and took her drink order. After she placed her food order, Louis took a minute in the kitchen to give Harry a kiss on the cheek and soothe his nerves. "You can do it, Harry. I love you."

* * *

Harry raised his glass of wine at the end of the night. "I just wanted to say, that Louis and I really appreciate everyone coming out to our opening night. This restaurant means the world to us and we couldn't be happier. Thank you. Thank you all so much." Harry took a drink as did the rest of their guests. Louis sipped his vodka with a big smile on his face. The critic came up to them after Harry's speech, shaking each of their hands and telling them what a great job they'd done. 

"Oh I'm so proud of you!" Louis' mom gushed. She dragged them both into a tight group hug. 

"Mama," Louis squeaked.

"Louis, a hug won't hurt you."

Next was Harry's mom who was equally as affectionate. Mrs. Pots pinched Harry's cheeks and ruffled Louis' hair. "Always knew you had it in you, Harry," she cooed. "Just needed a good push.

Slowly everyone began to leave and then it was just Louis and Harry and their empty, messy restaurant. Harry sank into an empty chair his head dropping on the table. 

"Careful, alpha, you don't want to lose any brain cells. Who'd take care of me then?" Louis whispered.

Harry lifted his head, his nose brushing against Louis' since the omega was leaning over the table. He could feel his body react to Louis using _alpha_ , but they were in the restaurant and they needed to clean up and lock up before anything like that happened. Ever since he'd told Louis he liked being called 'alpha', Louis used it against him any chance he got. Sometimes, if he was in a really cruel mood, Louis would use it to tease him and then disappear doing God knows what.  "We have to clean Louis," Harry whispered.

Louis pouted. "No one said that. We can make our own rules. This is our place."

"Clean first. Then we can do that."

Louis cupped Harry's cheeks in his hands and kissed him hard trying to dislodge the thought of cleaning from his head. "C'mon, Harry. We'll clean up in the morning." Harry put his hands on Louis' hip, but the omega just pressed forward. "If we don't do this now, we're not doing it at all tonight," Louis threatened. 

"Now that's just not fair," Harry growled.

"What are you going to do about it then, Harry?"

 Harry groaned and rose from his chair. "Office now."

 Louis grinned, grabbed Harry's hand, and dragged him to the office upstairs.


	16. Birthday Candles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the final chapter of Yoga Mats and Zumba Class. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. All your comments and kudos have meant so much to me. I'm gonna miss these guys...

_Louis screamed--an actual, blood-curdling scream that made Harry whine. The alpha couldn't do anything, not with the nurses and doctors starting to swarm around his mate. A big face dominated by a black mustache swam in his vision and suddenly he was being allowed next to Louis. The omega was screaming at the nurses around him. "He needs to let us help him," the man with the mustache said. "You've got to tell him to be still." Harry clutched Louis' hand. "Baby, let them help you. You've got to let them help you." Louis wasn't listening. Harry steeled himself and ordered, "Louis, be still." The omega stopped moving immediately, his eyes wide and a bit reproachful. "The doctors are going to help you. Be still and let them." Harry squeezed Louis' hand before he was moved out of the way by the nurses and doctors. He felt nauseous, jittery..._

Harry's eyes flew open as he sucked in a huge breath. It was dark and he wasn't sure where he was. Was he back at the hospital? Had he passed out? He wouldn't be surprised if he had. His head had felt a little light. But this was a pillow below his head and these sheets were not a scratchy as he remembered Louis complaining about. Louis...

Harry reached out to the side, his hand coming in contact with a warm body. The body next to him stirred and rolled over. Harry took a deep breath, taking in a wave of familiar scent that had his racing heart calm and his head stand still. "I'm surprised we're still alone," Louis mumbled.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Shocking really."

Louis shifted, lifting himself on his forearms so that he could look at his mate. There was something about Harry's tone that had him worried. "What is it, Harry?"

Harry's big hand cupped Louis' cheek. "Nothing, baby. It was just a dream."

"Harry, you're upset about something. I can tell."

"It's the same one I have every year at this time."

Louis leaned down and nuzzled Harry's cheek. He stretched himself over Harry and squeezed him tightly. "I'm alive though. It's been--"

At that moment, their door burst open and there was a smaller body suddenly jumping on their bed. "Get up! Get up! Get up! It's today! It's today! It's today!"

Louis rolled off of Harry as the alpha surged up to pull the little, bouncing body between the two of them. His big fingers ran up and down his little body pulling happy giggles from him. The boy squirmed away from the alpha and onto the chest of the omega. Louis rolled, so that his body protected the little one. "How old are you today?" he asked.

"You know that, daddy," the little boy said.

"You're going to have to remind me. I'm old. My mind isn't what it used to be."

"I'm six, daddy."

"My, my. You're getting old too."

Harry reached over to turn on the lamp on his bedside table. Both Louis and their son groaned as they were suddenly blinded by the light. Harry got out of bed and walked around to Louis' side of the bed where two sets of blue eyes looked back at him. "What would you like for breakfast, Sam?"

"Can I have cake?"

"That's for later silly," Louis chuckled. "Right now you need to eat some real food."

"But it's my birthday..." Sam whined. When it was obvious his parents weren't budging on the "real food" bit, Sam sighed and mumbled, "Pancakes please."

Harry went out to the kitchen and began singing while he cooked. Louis and Sam followed him a few minutes later each sliding into a stool to watch Harry. Harry made a show of flipping the pancakes and frying the bacon he'd decided to add to the meal. He was making such a show, he flipped a pancake a little to high and it flopped onto his face. "You're eating that one, love," Louis said as Sam giggled. 

Just then, the doorbell rang. Louis answered it, almost being toppled over by a small almost seven year old shouting, "Louis!" Louis stumbled back as little arms locked around his legs. 

"Hey Georgia," Louis greeted with a warm smile lifting the girl up. 

"Georgia! Georgia! Georgia!" Sam shouted almost slipping on his socks as he scampered towards his friend. Georgia wiggled out of Louis arms and hugged Sam. The two of them began talking excitedly as they went back to the kitchen where Harry was announcing breakfast. Zayn and Liam followed their daughter through the front door.

"Hey there, Lou," Zayn greeted.

"Hi, Zayn. Hey, Liam. God, you're getting huge," Louis mused as he hugged Liam as best he could around Liam's swollen belly. "Aren't you only like four months?"

"Yeah, but it's twins, Lou. Everything is going to be bigger." Liam petted his own tummy fondly and got a kiss on the forehead from Zayn.

"You two are disgusting," Louis teased as he preceded them into the kitchen. "Pancakes?" he offered.

"Yes, please. I'm famished," Liam gasped.

Zayn greeted Harry with a firm handshake and a slap on his back. Harry dumped a fresh batch of pancakes onto a the big serving tray. Louis got Zayn and Liam each a plate and they all gathered around the table. Liam plowed through his first plate and halfway through his second. Zayn kept teasing Sam as Louis teased Georgia. Harry watched them all with a nostalgic sort of fondness. Six years ago, his whole world almost stopped, but that was in the past and here was his world, complete and happy. Louis, noticing his mate's pensive look, kissed his temple and asked, "When does everyone else get here?"

"Two," Harry mumbled.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Liam asked as he finished his second plate of pancakes.

"No. I think we got most of it handled," Louis said.

"Where are the decorations?" Georgia asked, looking around at the completely un-decorated apartment.

Louis looked around. "I though it was pretty decorated."

Georgia wrinkled her nose, "You thought wrong."

The adults chuckled. "Sometimes I feel like she spends too much time with her godfather," Liam murmured fondly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Louis said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Who says he was talking about you, baby?" Harry teased.

"You don't have a sassy bone in your body, Harry," Louis said with a smile. "Sam, why don't and Georgia decorate. You know where the box is." The two kids scampered off shrieking with joy. Louis held up his hand to keep the others quiet as they listened to the kids discuss how they were going to get the box of decorations down. A few moments later there were two shouts accompanied by the sound of tumbling boxes. Sam reappeared at Louis' side and tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. "What is it, kiddo?" Louis asked.

"Can you help us, Daddy?" he asked turning on his puppy eyes (a look Harry was a complete sucker to no matter how hard he tried to deny it). 

"Sure thing," Louis replied standing from his chair. "What do you need?" he asked as Sam pulled him down the hall.

* * *

Louis crept down the hall after he'd finished tucking in his exhausted son with his new power rangers action figure. He wasn't sure if Sam or Zayn had been more excited about the toy. He found Harry sitting at the kitchen table with a larger piece of cake on a plate in front of him. His face was only lit by the three candles stuck in the piece of cake. Two glasses of wine flanked the cake. Louis was used to this. It'd surprised him the first time, but he'd learned to accept that this made Harry feel better.

"It's been six years, now," Louis said sinking into the chair next to Harry. "You're still having that nightmare?"

Harry nodded, pushing the cake towards Louis. "Make a wish, baby."

Louis just rolled his eyes and blew out the candles. Harry smiled, pulled out the candles, and took a bite of the cake before offering Louis a forkful. His mate leaned forward and accepted the dessert, pulling away from the fork slowly, eyes locked on Harry's. Harry put the fork down and brushed his thumb over Louis' cheek. "I almost lost you," he breathed.

"But you didn't. I'm still right here."

"I was so scared," Harry admitted.

It was like a script they'd long since memorized. "You don't need to be scared any more though. I'm not going anywhere."

This time, Harry deviated from the script. "Do you want to have another one?"

"Another what?" Louis said after a sip of whine.

"Another kid." Harry kept glancing nervously from the forgotten fork to Louis' face.

Louis shifted in his seat. "Do you want another one?"

"I'm not the one that almost died."

Louis frowned, moving into Harry's lap. "I want another kid. I want you to not dwell on that little fact."

"I can't help that." Harry wrapped his arm tightly around his mate's waist. He breathed in his scent, grounding himself in the present and not the memories of the past. 

"But the wine can." Louis handed Harry his glass and the two of them drank and ate the rest of their piece of cake in silence. "Liam and Zayn are going to have to move. Their apartment isn't big enough for three kids."

"Is this your way of telling me you want to move too? You and Liam are too close for them to move and not us."

"Well, we don't have to move just yet, but if we're going to start working towards our own football team, then yes, we're going to have to move."

Harry laughed softly, pressing his lips to Louis' temple. "We are a bit behind on that project aren't we?"

"Just a bit, but if you and I work hard enough, we'll have a team at least born before we're forty."

Harry gently gripped Louis' chin and pulled his lips to his. "Sam can stay with your mom while we work."

"I already talked to her about it. He's invited over for a weekend-long birthday bash with his cousins," Louis mumbled against Harry's lips.

"Perfect."

 


End file.
